Transcriber's Note: This edition had a cover and title page entitled_A Campfire Girl's First Council Fire_. The title on the first page ofthe story and the remainder of the book, however, is _The Camp FireGirls In the Woods_. 

A Campfire Girl'sFirst Council Fire

ByJANE L. STEWART

CAMPFIRE GIRLS SERIES

VOLUME I

 THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY AKRON, OHIO NEW YORK

 Made in U. S. A. 

COPYRIGHT, MCMXIV

BY

THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO. 

THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS SERIES

[Illustration]

 A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S FIRST COUNCIL FIRE A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S CHUM A CAMPFIRE GIRL IN SUMMER CAMP A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S ADVENTURE A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S TEST OF FRIENDSHIP A CAMPFIRE GIRL'S HAPPINESS

[Illustration: "We'll take you over to camp and you can have dinner withus. "]

The Camp Fire Girls In the Woods

CHAPTER I

THE ESCAPE

"Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"

The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin andcomplaining. She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hooverfarmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a momentand reading. 

Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, andstarted nervously toward the sink. 

"Yes, ma'am, " she said. "I was awful tired--an' I wanted to rest for afew minutes. "

"Tired!" scolded the woman. "Land knows _you_ ain't got nothin' tocarry on so about! Ain't you got a good home? Don't we board you andgive you a good bed to sleep in? Didn't Paw Hoover give you a nickel foryourself only last week?"

"Yes--an' you took it away from me soon's you found it out, " Bessieflashed back. There were tears in her eyes, but she went at her dishes, and Mrs. Hoover, after a minute in which she glared at Bessie, turnedand left the kitchen, muttering something about ingratitude as she went. 

As she worked, Bessie wondered why it was that she must always do thework about the house when other girls were at school or free to play. But it had been that way for a long time, and she could think of no wayof escaping to happier conditions. Mrs. Hoover was no relation to her atall. Bessie had a father and mother, but they had left her with Mrs. Hoover a long time before, and she could scarcely remember them, but sheheard about them, her father especially, whenever she did something thatMrs. Hoover didn't like. 

"Take after your paw--that's what you do, good-for-nothin' littlehussy!" the farmer's wife would say. "Leavin' you here on our hands whenhe went away--an' promisin' to send board money for you. Did, too, for'bout a year--an' since then never a cent! I've a mind to send you tothe county farm, that I have!"

"Now, maw, " Paw Hoover, a kindly, toil-hardened farmer, would say whenhe happened to overhear one of these outbursts, "Bessie's a good girl, an' I reckon she earns her keep, don't she, helpin' you like, round theplace?"

"Earn her keep?" Mrs. Hoover would shrill. "She's so lazy she'd never doanythin' at all if I didn't stand over her. All she's good fer is to eatan' sleep--an' to hide off som'ere's so's she can read them trashy bookswhen she ought to be reddin' up or doin' her chores!"

And Paw Hoover would sigh and retire, beaten in the argument. He knewhis wife too well to argue with her. But he liked Bessie, and he did hisbest to comfort her when he had the chance, and thought there was nodanger of starting a dispute with his wife. 

Bessie finished her dishes, and then she went out obediently to the woodpile, and set to work to chop kindling. She had been up sincedaylight--and the sun rose early on those summer mornings. Every boneand muscle in her tired little body ached, but she knew well that Mrs. Hoover had been listening to the work of washing the dishes, and shedared not rest lest her taskmistress descend upon her again when thenoise ceased. 

Mrs. Hoover came out after she had been chopping wood for a few minutesand eyed her crossly. 

"'Pears to me like you're mighty slow, " she said, complainingly. "Whenyou get that done there's butter to be made. So don't be all day aboutit. "

But the wood was hard, and though Bessie worked diligently enough, herprogress was slow. She was still at it when Mrs. Hoover, dressed in herblack silk dress and with her best bonnet on her head, appeared again. 

"I'm goin' to drive into town, " she said. "An' if that butter ain't donewhen I get back, I'll--"

She didn't finish her threat in words, but Bessie had plenty of memoriesof former punishments. She made no answer, and Mrs. Hoover, stillscowling, finally went off. 

As if that had been a signal, another girl appeared suddenly from theback of the woodshed. She was as dark as Bessie was fair, a mischievous, black-eyed girl, who danced like a sprite as she approached Bessie. Herbrown legs were bare, her dress was even more worn and far dingier thanBessie's, which was clean and neat. She was smiling as Bessie saw her. 

"Oh, Zara, aren't you afraid to come here?" said Bessie, alarmed, although Zara was her best and almost her only friend. "You know whatshe said she'd do if she ever caught you around here again?"

"Yes, I know, " said Zara, seating herself on a stump and swinging herlegs to and fro, after she had kissed Bessie, still laughing. "I'm notafraid of her, though, Bessie. She'd never catch me--she can't run fastenough! And if she ever touched me--"

The smile vanished suddenly from Zara's olive skinned face. Her eyesgleamed. 

"She'd better look out for herself!" she said. "She wouldn't do itagain!"

"Oh, Zara, it's wrong to talk that way, " said Bessie. "She's been goodto me. She's looked after me all this time--and when I was sick she wasever so nice to me--"

"Pooh!" said Zara. "Oh, I know I'm not good and sweet like you, Bessie!The teacher says that's why the nice girls won't play with me. But itisn't. I know--and it's the same way with you. If we had lots of moneyand pretty clothes and things like the rest of them, they wouldn't care. Look at you! You're nicer than any of them, but they don't have any moreto do with you than with me. It's because we're poor. "

"I don't believe it's that, Zara. They know that I haven't got time toplay with them, and that I can't ask them here, or go to their houses ifthey ask me. Some time--"

"You're too good, Bessie. You never get angry at all. You act as if youought to be grateful to Maw Hoover for looking after you. Don't she makeyou work like a hired girl, and pay you nothin' for it? You work all thetime--she'd have to pay a hired girl good wages for what you do, andtreat her decently, beside. You're so nice that everyone picks on you, just 'cause they know they can do it and you won't hit back. "

Glad of a chance to rest a little, Bessie had stopped her work to talkto Zara, and neither of the two girls heard a stealthy rustling amongthe leaves back of the woodshed, nor saw a grinning face that appearedaround the corner. The first warning that they had that they were notalone came when a long arm reached out suddenly and a skinny, powerfulhand grasped Zara's arm and dragged her from her perch. 

"Caught ye this time, ain't I?" said the owner of the hand and arm, appearing from around the corner of the shed. "My, but Maw'll pickle yerwhen she gits hold of yer!"

"Jake Hoover!" exclaimed Bessie, indignantly. "You big sneak, you! Lether go this instant! Aren't you ashamed of yourself, hurtin' her likethat?"

Zara, caught off her guard, had soon collected herself, and begun tostruggle in his grasp like the wild thing she was. But Jake Hoover onlylaughed, leering at the two girls. He was a tall, lanky, overgrown boyof seventeen, and he was enjoying himself thoroughly. He seemed to haveinherited all his mother's meanness of disposition and readiness to findfault and to take delight in the unhappiness of others. Now, as Zarastruggled, he twisted her wrist to make her stop, and only laughed ather cries of pain. 

"Let her go! She isn't hurting you!" begged Bessie. "Please, Jake, ifyou do, I'll help you do your chores to-night--I will, indeed!"

"You'll have to do 'em anyhow, " said Jake, still holding poor Zara. "I've got a dreadful headache. I'm too sick to do any work to-night. "

He made a face that he thought was comical. Zara, realizing that she washelpless against his greater strength, had stopped struggling, and heturned on her suddenly with a vicious glare. 

"I know why you're hangin' 'round here, " he said. "They took thatworthless critter you call your paw off to jail jest now--and you'retryin' to steal chickens till he comes out. "

"That ain't true!" she exclaimed. "My father never stole anything. They're just picking on him because he's a foreigner and can't talk aswell as some of them--"

"They've locked him up, anyhow, " said Jake. "An' now I'm goin' to lockyou up, too, an' keep you here till maw comes home--right here in thewoodshed, where you'll be safe!"

And despite her renewed struggling and Bessie's tearful protests, hekept his word, thrusting her into the woodshed and locking the greatpadlock on the door, while she screamed in futile rage, and kickedwildly at the door. 

Then, with a parting sneer for Bessie, he went off, carrying the keywith him. 

"Listen, Zara, " said Bessie, sobbing. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes. I'm all right, Bessie. Don't you cry! He didn't hurt me any. "

"I'll try and get a key so I can let you out before she comes home. Ifshe finds you in there, she'll give you a beating, just like she said. I've got to go churn some milk into butter now, but I'll be back as soonas ever I can. Don't you worry! I'll get you out of there all right. "

"Please try, Bessie! I'm so worried about what he said about my father. It can't be true--but how would he ever think of such a story? I want toget home and find out. "

"You keep quiet. I'll find some way to get you out, " promised Bessie, loyally. 

And, stirred to a greater anger than she had ever felt by Jake Hoover'sbullying of poor Zara, she went off to attend to her churning. 

Jake, as a matter of fact, was responsible for a good deal of Bessie'sunhappiness. As a child he had been sickly, and he had continued, longafter he had outgrown his weakness, and sprouted up into a lanky, raw-boned boy, to trade upon the fears his parents had once felt forhim. Among boys of his own age he was unpopular. He had early become abully, abusing smaller and weaker boys. 

Bessie he had long made a mark for his sallies of wit. He taunted herinterminably about the way her father and mother had left her; he pulledher hair, and practiced countless other little tricks that she could notresent. His father tried to reprove him at times, but his mother alwaysrushed to his defence, and in her eyes he could do no wrong. She upheldhim against anyone who had a bad word to say concerning him--and, ofcourse, Bessie got undeserved rebukes for many of his misdeeds. 

He soon learned that he could escape punishment by making it seem thatshe had done things of which he was accused, and, as his word was alwaystaken against hers, no matter what the evidence was, he had onlyincreased his mother's dislike for the orphaned girl. 

The whole village shared Maw Hoover's dislike of Zara and her father. Hehad settled down two or three years before in an abandoned house, but noone seemed to understand how he lived. He disappeared for days at atime, but he seemed always to have money enough to pay his way, althoughnever any more. And in the village there were dark rumors concerninghim. 

Gossip accused him of being a counterfeiter, who made bad money in theabandoned house he had taken for his own, and that seemed to be thefavorite theory. And whenever chickens were missed, dark looks were castat Zara and her father. He looked like a gypsy, and he would neveranswer questions about himself. That was enough to condemn him. 

Bessie finished her churning quickly, and then went back, hoping eitherto make Jake relent or find some way of releasing the prisoner in thewoodshed. But she could see no sign of Jake. The summer afternoon hadbecome dark. In the west heavy black clouds were forming, and as Bessielooked about it grew darker and darker. Evidently a thunder shower wasapproaching. That meant that Maw Hoover would hurry home. If she was tohelp Zara she must make haste. 

Jake, it seemed, had the only key that would open the padlock andBessie, though she knew that she would be punished for it, determined totry to break the lock with a stone. She told Zara what she meant to do, and set to work. It was hard work, but her fingers were willing, andZara's frightened pleading, as the thunder began to roar, and flashes oflightning came to her through the cracks in the woodshed, urged her on. And then, just as she was on the verge of success, she heard Jake'scoarse laugh in her ear. "Look out!" he shouted. 

He stood in the kitchen door, and, as she turned, something fell, hissing, at her feet. She started back, terrified. Jake laughed, andthrew another burning stick at her. He had taken a shovelful of embersfrom the fire, and now he tossed them at her so that she had to danceabout to escape the sparks. It was a dangerous game, but one that Jakeloved to play. He knew that Bessie was afraid of fire, and he had oftenteased her in that fashion. But suddenly Bessie shrieked in real terror. As yet, though the approaching storm blackened the sky, there was norain. But the wind was blowing almost a gale, and Bessie saw a littlestreamer of flame run up the side of the woodshed. 

"The shed's on fire! You've set it on fire!" she shrieked. "Quick--giveme that key!"

Jake, really frightened then, ran toward her with the key in his hand. 

"Get some water!" Bessie called to him. "Quick!"

And she unlocked the padlock and let Zara, terrified by the fire, out. But Jake stood there stupidly, and, fanned by the wind, the flamesspread rapidly. 

"Gosh, now you have done it!" he said. "Maw'll just about skin you alivefor that when I tell her you set the shed afire!"

Bessie turned a white face toward him. 

"You wouldn't say that!" she exclaimed. 

But she saw in his scared face that he would tell any lie that wouldsave him from the consequences of his recklessness. And with a sob offright she turned to Zara. 

"Come, Zara!" she cried. "Get away!"

"Come with me!" said Zara. "She'll believe you did it! Come with me!"

And Bessie, too frightened and tired to think much, suddenly yielded toher fright, and ran with Zara out into the woods. 

CHAPTER II

AN UNJUST ACCUSATION

They had not gone far when the rain burst upon them. They stuck to thewoods to avoid meeting Maw Hoover on her way home, and as the first bigdrops pattered down among the trees Zara called a halt. 

"It's going to rain mighty hard, " she said. "We'd better wait here andgive it a chance to stop a little before we cross the clearing. We'llget awful wet if we go on now. "

Bessie, shivering with fright, and half minded, even now, to turn backand take any punishment Maw Hoover chose to give her, looked up throughthe trees. The lightning was flashing. She turned back--and the glare ofthe burning woodshed helped her to make up her mind to stay with Zara. As they looked the fire, against the black background of the storm, wasterrifying in the extreme. 

"You'd never think that shed would make such a blaze, would you?" saidZara, trembling. "I'd like to kill that Jake Hoover! How did he set iton fire?"

"He must have been watching me all the time when I was trying to helpyou to get out, " said Bessie. "Then, when I was nearly done, he calledto me, and then he began throwing the burning wood at me. He knows Ihate that--he's done it before. I can always get out of the way. Hedoesn't throw them very near me, really. But two or three times thesparks have burned holes in my dress and Maw Hoover's been as mad as shecould be. So she thinks anyhow that I play around the fire, and she'dnever believe I didn't do it. "

"The rain ought to put the fire out, " said Zara presently, after theyhad remained in silence for a few moments. "But I think it's beginningto stop a little now. "

"It is, and the fire's still burning, Zara. It seems to me it'sbrighter than ever. And listen--when it isn't thundering. Don't you heara noise as if someone was shouting back there?"

Zara listened intently. 

"Yes, " she said. "And it sounds as if they were chopping with axes, too. I hope the fire hasn't spread and reached the house, Bessie. "

Bessie shivered. 

"I hope so, too, Zara. But it's not my fault, anyhow. You and I knowthat, even if no one believes us. It was Jake Hoover who did it, andhe'll be punished for it some time, I guess, whether his maw ever findsit out or not. "

They waited a few minutes longer for the rain to stop, and then, as itgrew lighter, they began to move on. They could see a heavy cloud ofsmoke from the direction of the farmhouse, but no more flames, and now, as the thunder grew more and more distant, they could hear shouting moreplainly. Evidently help had come--Paw Hoover, probably, seeing the fire, and rushing up from the fields with his hired men and the neighbors toput it out. 

"Zara, " said Bessie, suddenly, "suppose Jake was telling the truth?Suppose they have taken your father away? You know they have said thingsabout him, and lots of people believe he is a bad man. I never did. Butsuppose they really have taken him, what will you do?"

"I don't know. Stay there, I suppose. But, Bessie, it can't be true!"

"Maybe they wouldn't let you stay. When Mary Morton's mother died lastyear and left her alone, they took her to the poorhouse. Maybe they'dmake you go there, too. "

"They shan't!" cried Zara, her eyes flashing through her tears. "I--I'llrun away--I'll do anything--"

"I'm going to run away, myself, " said Bessie, quietly. She had beendoing a lot of thinking. "No one could make me work harder than MawHoover, and they'd pay me for doing it. I'm going to get as far away asI can and get a real job. "

Zara looked at Bessie, usually so quiet and meek, in surprise. Therewas a determined note in Bessie's voice that she had never heard therebefore. 

"We'll stick together, you and I, Zara, " said Bessie. "I'm afraidsomething _has_ happened to your father. And if that's so, we'd betternot go right up to your house. We'd better wait until it's dark, and gothere quietly, so that we can listen, and see if there's anyone aroundlooking for you. "

"But we won't get any supper!" said poor Zara. "And I'm hungry already!"

"We'll find berries and nuts, and we can easily find a spring where wecan drink all we want, " said Bessie. "I guess we've got to look out forourselves now, Zara. There's no one else to do it for us. "

And Bessie, the meek, the quiet, the subdued, from that moment tookcommand. Always before Zara had seemed the plucky one of the two. Shehad often urged Bessie to rebel against Maw Hoover's harshness, and ithad been always Bessie who had hung back and refused to do anythingthat might make trouble. But now, when the time for real action hadcome, and Bessie recognized it, it was she who made the plans anddecided what was to be done. 

Bessie knew the woods well, far better than Zara. Unerringly she led theway to a spot she knew, where a farm had been allowed to drift back towild country, and pointed out some cherry trees. 

"Some berries aren't good to eat, but I know those cherries, " saidBessie. "They used to be the best trees in the whole county yearsago--Paw Hoover's told me that. Some believe that they're no good now, because no one has looked after the trees, but I know they're fine. Iate some only the other day, and they're ripe and delicious. So we'llhave supper off these trees. "

Zara, as active as a little cat, climbed the tree at once, and in amoment she was throwing down the luscious fruit to Bessie, who gatheredit in her apron and called to Zara when she had picked enough of thebig, round cherries. 

"Aren't they good, Zara? Eat as many as you want. They're not like areal supper of meat and potatoes and things like that, you know, butthey'll keep us from feeling hungry. "

"They certainly will, Bessie. I'd never have known about them. But thenI haven't lived long enough in the country to know it the way you do. I've been in cities all my life. "

"Yes, and if we get to the city, Zara, you'll know lots of things and beable to tell me all about them. It must be wonderful. "

"I suppose it is, Bessie, but I never thought of it that way. It musthave been because I was used to everything of that sort. When you seethings every day you get so that you don't think anything about them. Iused to laugh at people from the country when I'd see them staring up atthe high buildings, and jumping when an automobile horn tooted anywherenear them. "

"I suppose it must have seemed funny to you. "

"Yes, but I was sorry when I came out here and saw that everyone waslaughing at me. There were all sorts of things I'd never seen or thoughtabout. I'm really only just beginning to get used to them now. Bessie, it's getting pretty dark. Won't the moon be up soon?"

"Not for an hour or two yet, Zara. But it is dark now--we'd better beginwalking toward your house. We want to get there while it stays dark, andbefore the old moon does get up. It'll be just as bright as daylightthen, and they'd be able to see us. I tell you what--we want to keep offthe road. We'll go through the woods till we get a chance to cut throughFarmer Weeks' cornfield. That'll bring us out behind your place, and wecan steal up quietly. "

"You'd think we'd been doing something wrong, Bessie. It seems mightymean for us to have to sneak around that way. "

"It's all right as long as we know we haven't done anything that isn'tright, Zara. That's the chief thing. If you do right, people will findit out sooner or later, even if they think at first that you're bad. Sometimes it takes a long time, but Paw Hoover says he's never known itto fail that a bad man gets found out sooner or later. "

"Then Jake Hoover'd better look out, " said Zara, viciously. "He's liedso much, and done so many mean things that you've got the blame for, that he'll have an awful lot to make up for when he starts in. Whatwould Paw Hoover do to him if he knew he'd set the woodshed on fire, Bessie?"

"I don't know. He'd be awful mad. He hasn't got so awful much money, youknow, and he needs it all for the farm. But Maw Hoover thinks Jake's allright. She'd find some excuse for him. She always does when he does getfound out. That happens sometimes, you know. He can't always make themthink I've done it. "

"I guess maybe that's why he's so mean, Bessie. Don't you think so?"

"Shouldn't wonder, Zara. I don't believe he stops to think half thetime. Here we are! We'll cut through the fence. Careful as we gothrough--keep to the lanes between the stalks. We mustn't hurt thecorn, you know. "

"I'd like to pull up every stalk! These people 'round here have beenmean and ugly to my father ever since we came here. "

"That isn't right, though, Zara. It won't do you any good to hurt themin return. If you do wrong, too, just because they have, you'll be justas bad as they are. "

"Oh, I know, but they've said all sorts of awful things, and if they'veput him in prison now--" She stopped, with a sob, and Bessie took herhand. 

"Cheer up, Zara. We don't know that anything of that sort has happenedyet, and, even if it has, it will come out all right. If your fatherhasn't done anything wrong, they can't punish him. He'll get a fairtrial if he's been arrested, and they can't prove he's done anythingunless he has, you know. "

"But if they lied about him around here, mightn't they lie the sameafterward--at the trial, Bessie? I'm frightened; really I am!"

"Hush, Zara! There's your house, and there's a light! That means there'ssomeone there. I hope it's your father, but it might be someone else, and we mustn't let them hear us. "

The two girls were out of the cornfield now, and, crossing a littlepatch of swampy land, came to the little garden around Zara's house, where her father had planted a few vegetables that helped to feed himand Zara. 

The house was little better than a cabin, a rough affair, tumbled downin spots, with a sagging roof, and stained and weather-worn boards. Ithad no second floor at all, and it was a poor, cheap apology for adwelling, all around. But, after all, it was Zara's home, the only homeshe knew, and she was so tired and discouraged that all she wanted wasto get safely inside and throw herself down on her hard bed to sleep. 

"Listen!" whispered Bessie, suddenly. 

From the room into which the kitchen led there came a murmur of voices. At first, though they strained their ears, they could make nothing outof the confused sounds of talk. But gradually they recognized voices, and Bessie turned pale as she heard Paw Hoover's, easy for her to know, since his deep tones rumbled out in the quiet night. Zara recognizedthem, too, and clutched Bessie's arm. 

"My father isn't there!" she whispered. "If he was, I'd hear him. "

"There's Farmer Weeks--and I believe that's Jake Hoover's voice, too, "said Bessie, also in a whisper. 

Then the door was opened, and the two girls huddled closer together, shivering, afraid that they would be discovered. But it seemed that PawHoover had only opened the door to get a little air, since the night wasvery hot after the storm. About them the insects were making theiraccustomed din, and a little breeze rustled among the treetops. But, with the door open, they could hear what was being said plainly enough. 

"I ain't goin' to wait here all night, Brother Weeks, " said Paw Hoover. "Got troubles enough of my own, what with the woodshed settin' fire tothe house!"

"Oh!" whispered Bessie. "Did you hear that, Zara? It was worse than wethought. "

"Huh!" said Weeks, a rough, hard man, who found it hard to get men towork when he needed them for the harvest every summer, on account of hisreputation for treating his men badly. 

"I allus told you you'd have trouble with that baggage afore you got ridof her, Paw! Lucky that she didn't burn you out when you was allasleep--I say, " said Jake. 

Bessie listened, every nerve and muscle in her body tense. They blamedher for the fire, then! Her instinct when she had run away had beenright. 

"I swan, I dunno what all possessed her, " said Paw Hoover. "We give hera good home--but Jake here seen her do it, though he was too late tostop her--hey, Jake?"

"That's right, Pop, " said Jake. "She didn't know I was aroun' anywhere. Say, you ought to have her pinched for doin' it, too. "

"I dunno--she's only a youngster, " said Paw. "I guess they wouldn't holdher responsible, somehow. But say, Brother Weeks, I hate to think ofthat little Zara runnin' roun' the woods to-night. She ain't donenothin' wrong, even if her paw's a crook. An' now they took him off, who's a-goin' to look out for her?"

"I'll drive her over to the poor-farm when she turns up, " said Weeks. "Then they'll take her, an' apprentice her to someone as wants a girl towork aroun' his place, like. Bind her over till she's twenty-one, andlet her work for her keep. I might take her myself--guess 'twouldn'tcost such a lot to feed her. She's thin--reckon she ain't ever had muchto eat here. "

Bessie, feeling the tremor in Zara's rigid body at this confirmation ofher worst fears, put her hand quickly over her friend's mouth, just intime to check a cry that was rising to her lips. 

"Come, Zara, " she whispered, gently. "We'll have to look out forourselves. Come, we'll get away. We mustn't stay around here. "

And, holding Zara's arm, she led her away. For a long time, until Bessiejudged that it was safe to return to the road, they kept on through thewoods. And, when they came out on the road, the moon was up. 

"The world's a beautiful place after all, Zara, " said Bessie. "It can'tbe so bad when everything's so lovely. Come on, we'll walk a littlefurther, and then we'll come to a place I know where we can sleepto-night--a place where wood cutters used to stay. No one's there now, and we'll be dry and safe. "

"I'm not afraid if I'm with you, Bessie, " said Zara. 

CHAPTER III

WO-HE-LO

Two or three miles further along the road, Bessie spied the landmark shehad been looking for. 

"We'll turn off here, " she said, "Cheer up, Zara. It won't be long nowbefore we can go to sleep. "

The full moon made it easy to pick their way along the wood path thatBessie followed, and before long they came to a small lake. On its farside, among the trees near the shore, a fire was burning, flickering upfrom time to time, and sending dancing shadows on the beach. 

"There's someone over there, Bessie, " said Zara, frightened at the signof human habitation. 

"They won't hurt us, Zara, " said Bessie, stoutly. "Probably they won'teven know that we're around, if we don't make any noise, or any fire ofour own. Here we are--here's the hut! See? Isn't it nice andcomfortable? Hurry now and help me to pick up some of these branches ofpine trees. They'll make a comfortable bed for us, and well sleep justas well as if we were at home--or a lot better, because there'll be noone to be cross and make trouble for us in the morning. "

Bessie arranged the branches, and in a few moments they were asleep, lying close together. Pine branches make an ideal bed, but, even hadtheir couch been uncomfortable, the two girls would have slept well thatnight; they were too tired to do anything else. It was long aftermidnight, and both had been through enough to exhaust them. The sense ofpeace and safety that they found in this refuge in the woods more thanmade up for the strangeness of their surroundings, and when they awokethe sun was high. It was the sound of singing in the sweet, fresh voicesof girls that aroused them in the end. And Bessie, the first to wake up, aroused Zara, and then peeped from the door of the cabin. 

There on the beach, their hair spread out in the sun, were half a dozengirls in bathing dresses. Beside them were a couple of canoes, drawn upon the beach, and they were laughing and singing merrily as they driedtheir hair. Looking over across the lake, in the direction of the fireshe had seen the night before, Bessie saw that it was still burning. Apillar of smoke rose straight in the still air, and beyond it, gleamingamong the trees, Bessie saw the white sides of three or four tents. Astonished, she called Zara. 

"They're not from around here, Zara, " she whispered, not ready yet forthe strangers to discover her. "Girls around here don't swim--it's onlythe boys who do that. "

"I'll bet they're from the city and here on a vacation, " said Zara. 

"They look awful happy, Zara. Isn't that lady with the brown hairpretty? And she's older than the rest, too. You can see that, can'tyou?"

"Listen, Bessie! She just called one of the girls. And did you hearwhat she called her? Minnehaha--that's a funny name, isn't it?"

"It's an Indian name, Zara. It means Laughing Water. That's the name ofthe girl that Hiawatha loved, in the poem. I've read that, haven't you?"

"I've never been able to read very much, Bessie. But that girl isn't anIndian. She's ever so much lighter than I am--she's as fair as you. AndIndians are red, aren't they?"

"She's not an Indian, Zara. That's right enough. It must be some sort ofa game. Oh, listen!"

For the older girl, the one Zara had pointed out, had spied Bessie'speeping face suddenly. 

"Look, girls!" she cried, pointing. 

And then, without a word of signal all the girls suddenly broke out intoa song--a song Bessie had never heard before. 

 "Wohelo for aye, Wohelo for aye, Wohelo, Wohelo, Wohelo for aye; Wohelo for work, Wohelo for health, Wohelo, Wohelo, Wohelo for love!"

As they ended the song, all the girls, with laughing faces, followed theeyes of their leader and looked at Bessie, who, frightened at first whenshe saw that she had been discovered, now returned the look shyly. Therewas something so kind, so friendly, about the manner of these strangegirls that her fear had vanished. 

"Won't you come out and talk to us?" asked the leader of the crowd. 

She came forward alone toward the door of the cabin, looking at Bessiewith interest. 

"My name is Wanaka--that is, my Camp Fire name, " said the stranger. "Weare Manasquan Camp Fire Girls, you know, and we've been camping out bythis lake. Do you live here?"

"No--not exactly, ma'am, " said Bessie, still a little shy. 

"Then you must be camping out, too? It's fun, isn't it? But you're notalone, are you? Didn't I see another head peeping out?"

"That's Zara. She's my friend, and she's with me, " said Bessie. "And myname's Bessie King. "

She looked curiously at Wanaka. Bessie had never heard of the Camp FireGirls, and the great movement they had begun, meant to do for Americangirls what the Boy Scout movement had begun so well for their brothers. 

"Well, won't you and Zara spend the day with us, if you are byyourselves?" asked Wanaka. "We'll take you over to camp in the canoes, and you can have dinner with us. We're going back now to cook it. Theother girls have begun to prepare it already. "

"Oh, we'd like to!" cried Bessie. "I'm awfully hungry--and I'm sure Zarais, too. "

Bessie hadn't meant to say that. But the thought of a real meal had beentoo much for her. 

"Hungry!" cried Wanaka. "Why, haven't you had breakfast? Did youoversleep?"

She looked about curiously. And Bessie saw that she could not deceivethis tall, slim girl, with the wise eyes that seemed to see everything. 

"We--we haven't anything to eat, " she said. And suddenly she wasovercome with the thought of how hard things were going to be, especially for Zara, and tears filled her eyes. 

"You shall tell me all about it afterwards, " said Wanaka, with decision. "Just now you've got to come over with us and have something to eat, right away. Girls, launch the canoes! We have two guests here whohaven't had any breakfast, and they're simply starving to death. "

Any girls Bessie had ever known would have rushed toward her at once, overwhelming her with questions, fussing around, and getting nothingdone. But these girls were different. They didn't talk; they did things. In a moment, as it seemed, the canoes were in the water, and Bessie andZara had been taken into different boats. Then, at a word from Wanaka, the paddles rose and dipped into the water, and with two girls paddlingeach canoe, one at the stern and one at the bow, they were soon speedingacross the lake, which, at this point, was not more than a quarter of amile wide. 

Once ashore, Wanaka said a few words to other girls who were busy aboutthe fire, and in less than a minute the savory odor of frying bacon andsteaming coffee rose from the fire. Zara gave a little sigh of perfectcontent. 

"Oh, doesn't that smell good?" she said. 

Bessie smiled. 

"It certainly does, and it's going to taste even better than it smells, "she answered, happily. 

They sat down, cross-legged, near the fire, and the girls of the camp, quiet and competent, and asking them no questions, waited on them. Bessie and Zara weren't used to that. They had always had to wait onothers, and do things for other people; no one had ever done much forthem. It was a new experience, and a delightful one. But Bessie, seeingWanaka's quiet eyes fixed upon her, realized that the time forexplanations would come when their meal was over. 

And, sure enough, after Bessie and Zara had eaten until they could eatno more, Wanaka came to her, gently, and took her by the hand. Sheseemed to recognize that Bessie must speak for Zara as well as forherself. 

"Now suppose we go off by ourselves and have a little talk, Bessie, " shesuggested. "I'm sure you have something to tell me, haven't you?"

"Yea, indeed, Miss Wanaka, " said Bessie. She knew that in Wanaka she hadfound, by a lucky chance, a friend she could trust and one who couldgive her good advice. 

Wanaka smiled at her as she led the way to the largest of the tents. 

"Just call me Wanaka, not Miss Wanaka, " she said. "My name is EleanorMercer, but here in the camp and wherever the Camp Fire Girls meet weoften call one another by our ceremonial names. Some of us--most ofus--like the old Indian names, and take them, but not always. "

"Now, " she said, when they were alone together in the tent, "tell me allabout it, Bessie. Haven't you any parents? Or did they let you go out tospend the night all alone in the woods that way?"

Then Bessie told her the whole story. Wanaka watched her closely asBessie told of her life with the Hoovers, of her hard work and drudgery, and of Jake's persecution. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Bessiedescribed the scene at the woodshed, and told of how Jake had lockedZara in to wait for her mother's return, and of his cruel and dangeroustrick with the burning embers. 

"Did he really tell his father that you had set the shed on fire--and onpurpose?" asked Wanaka, rather sternly. 

"He was afraid of what would happen to him if they knew he'd done it, "said Bessie. "I guess he didn't stop to think about what they'd do tome. He was just frightened, and wanted to save himself. "

Wanaka looked at her very kindly. 

"These people aren't related to you at all, are they?" she asked. "Youweren't bound to them--they didn't agree to keep you any length of timeand have you work for them in return for your board?"

"No, " said Bessie. 

"Then, if that's so, you had a right to leave them whenever you liked, "said Wanaka, thoughtfully. "And tell me about Zara. Who is her father?What does he do for a living?"

"I don't believe she even knows that herself. They used to live in thecity, but they came out here two or three years ago, and he's never gonearound with the other men, because he can't speak English very well. He's some sort of a foreigner, you see. And when they took him off toprison Zara was left all alone. He used to stay around the cabin all thetime, and Zara says he would work late at night and most of the day, too, making things she never saw. Then he'd go off for two or three daysat a time, and Zara thought he went to the city, because when he cameback he always had money--not very much, but enough to buy food andclothes for them. And she said he always seemed to be disappointed andunhappy when he came back. "

"And the people in the village thought he was a counterfeiter--that hemade bad money?"

"That's what Maw Hoover and Jake said. _They_ thought so, I know. "

"People think they know a lot when they're only guessing, sometimes, Bessie. A man has a right to keep his business to himself if he wantsto, as long as he doesn't do anything that's wrong. But why didn't Zarastay? If her father was cleared and came back, they couldn't keep her atthe poor-farm or make her go to work for this Farmer Weeks you speakof. "

"I don't know. She was afraid, and so was I. They call her a gypsybecause she's so dark. And people say she steals chickens. I know shedoesn't, because once or twice when they said she'd done that, she'dbeen in the woods with me, walking about. And another time I saw a hawkswoop down and take one of Maw Hoover's hens, and she was always surethat Zara'd done that. "

Wanaka had watched Bessie very closely while she told her story. Bessie's clear, frank eyes that never fell, no matter how Wanaka staredinto them, seemed to the older girl a sure sign that Bessie was tellingthe truth. 

"It sounds as if you'd had a pretty hard time, and as if you hadn't hadmuch chance, " she said, gravely. "It's strange about your parents. "

Bessie's eyes filled with tears. 

"Oh, something must have happened to them--something dreadful, " shesaid. "Or else I'm sure they would never have left me that way. And Idon't believe what Maw Hoover was always saying--that they were glad toget rid of me, and didn't care anything about me. "

"Neither do I, " said Wanaka. "Bessie, I want to help you and Zara. And Ithink I can--that we all can, we Camp Fire Girls. You know that's whatwe live for--to help people, and to love them and serve them. You heardus singing the Wohelo cheer when we first saw you. Wohelo means work, and health, and love. You see, it's a word we made up by taking thefirst two letters of each of those words. I tell you what I'm going todo. You and Zara must stay with us here to-day. The girls will lookafter you. And I'm going into the village and while I'm there I'll seehow things are. "

"You won't tell Maw Hoover where we are; or Farmer Weeks?" cried Bessie. 

"I'll do the right thing, Bessie, " said Wanaka, smiling. "You may besure of that. I believe what you've told me--I believe every word of it. But you'd rather have me find out from others, too, I'm sure. You see, it would be very wrong for us to help girls to run away from home. Butneither you nor Zara have done that, if your story is right. And I thinkit is our duty to help you both, just as it is our pleasure. "

CHAPTER IV

AN UNEXPECTED FRIEND

Bessie wasn't afraid of what Wanaka would find out in Hedgeville. Wanakawouldn't take Jake Hoover's word against hers, that much was sure. Andshe guessed that Wanaka would have her own ways of discovering thetruth. So, as Wanaka changed from her bathing suit to a costume bettersuited to the trip to the village, Bessie went out with a light heart tofind Zara. Already she thought that she saw the way clear before them. With friends, there was no reason why they should not reach the city andmake their own way there, as plenty of other girls had done. And itseemed to Bessie that Wanaka meant to be a good friend. 

"Oh, Bessie, have you been hearing all about the Camp Fire, too?" askedZara, when she espied her friend, "It's wonderful! They do all sorts ofthings. And Minnehaha is going to teach me to swim this afternoon. She'll teach you, too, if you like. "

But Bessie only smiled in answer. She could swim already, but she saidnothing about it, since no one asked her, seeming to take it for grantedthat, like Zara, she was unused to the water. Moreover, while she couldswim well enough, she was afraid that she would look clumsy and awkwardin comparison to the Camp Fire Girls. Most of them had changed theirclothes now, before dinner. 

Some wore short skirts and white blouses; one or two were in a costumethat Bessie recognized at once as that of Indian maidens, from thepictures she had seen in the books she had managed to get at the Hooverfarmhouse. She noticed, too, that many of them now wore strings ofbeads, and that all wore rings. Two or three of the girls, too, worebracelets, strangely marked, and all had curious badges on their rightsleeves. 

"We've got to wash the dishes, now, " said Minnehaha, who bore out hername by laughing and smiling most of the time. She had already told Zarathat her real name was Margery Burton. "You sit down and rest, and whenwe've done, we'll talk to you and tell you more about the Camp FireGirls and all the things we do. "

"No, indeed, " said Bessie, laughing back. "That won't do at all. Youcooked our meal; now we'll certainly help to clean up. That's somethingI can do, and I'm going to help. "

Zara, too, insisted on doing her share, and the time passed quickly asthe girls worked. Then, when the things were cleaned and put away, andsome preparations had been made for the evening meal, Zara begged tohave her first swimming lesson at once. 

"No, we'll have to wait a little while for that, " said Minnehaha. "Wemust wait until Wanaka comes back. She's our Guardian, you see, and it'sa rule that we mustn't go into the water unless she's here, no matterhow well we swim, unless, of course, we have to, to help someone who isdrowning. And it's too soon after dinner, too. It's bad for you to gointo the water less than two hours after a meal. We're always carefulabout that, because we have to be healthy. That's one of the chiefreasons we have the Camp Fire. "

"Tell us about it, " begged Zara, sitting down. 

"You see this ring?" said Minnehaha, proudly. 

She pointed to her ring, a silver band with an emblem, --seven fagots. 

"We get a ring like that when we join, " she explained. "That's theWood-Gatherer's ring, and the National Council gives it to us. Thoseseven fagots each stand for one of the seven points of the law of thefire. "

"What are they, Minnehaha?"

"They're easy to remember: 'Seek Beauty; Give Service; Pursue Knowledge;Be Trustworthy; Hold on to Health; Glorify Work; Be Happy. ' If you wantto do all those things--and I guess everyone does--you can be aWood-Gatherer. Then, later on, you get to be a Fire-Maker, and, afterthat, a Torch-Bearer. And when you get older, if you do well, you canbe a Guardian, and be in charge of a Camp Fire yourself. You see, thereare Camp Fires all over. There are a lot of them in our city, and inevery city. And there are more and more all the time. The movementhasn't been going on very long, but it's getting stronger all the time. "

"Are you a Fire-Maker?"

"Not yet. If I were, I'd wear a bracelet, like Ayu. And instead of justhaving a bunch of fagots on my sleeve, there'd be a flame coming fromthem. And then, when I get to be a Torch-Bearer, I'll have a pin, aswell as the ring and the bracelet, and there'll be smoke on my badge, aswell as fire and wood. But you have to work hard before you can stopbeing a Wood-Gatherer and get to the higher ranks. We all have to workall the time, you see. "

"I've had to work, too, " said Bessie. "But this seems different becauseyou enjoy your work. "

"That's because we like to work. We work because we want to do it, notbecause someone makes us. "

"Yes, I was thinking of that. I always worked because I had to--MawHoover made me. "

"Who's Maw Hoover, Bessie?"

So Bessie told her story, or most of it, all over again, and the othergirls, seeing that she was telling a story, crowded around and listened. 

"I think it's a shame you were treated so badly, " said Minnehaha. "Butdon't you worry--Miss Eleanor will know what to do. She won't let themtreat you unfairly. Is she going to find out about things in thevillage?"

"Yes. "

"Well, you needn't worry any more, then. Why, one of the first thingsshe did in the city, when she started this Camp Fire, was to get us allto work to get better milk for the babies in the poor parts, where thetenement houses are. We all helped, but she did most of it. And now allthe milk is good and pure, and the babies don't die any more in the hotweather in summer. "

"That's fine. I'd like to be a Camp Fire Girl. "

"Why shouldn't you be one, then?"

"But--"

Bessie hesitated. 

After all, why not? Maw Hoover would never have let her do anything likethat--but Maw Hoover couldn't stop her from doing anything she likednow. Wanaka had told her what Zara had always said, that Maw Hoovercouldn't make her stay, couldn't make her keep on working hard every dayfor nothing but her board. She had read about girls who had gone to thecity and earned money, lots of money, without working any harder thanshe had always done. Perhaps could do that, too. 

"You talk to Wanaka about that when she comes back, " said Minnehaha, whoguessed what Bessie was thinking. "You see her. She'll explain it toyou. And you're going to be happy, Bessie. I'm sure of that. When peopledo right, and still aren't happy for a while, it's always made up tothem some way. And usually when they do wrong they have to pay for it, some way or another. That's one of the things we learn in the CampFire. "

"Here comes Wanaka now, " said one of the other girls. "There's someonewith her. "

Bessie looked frightened. 

"I don't want anyone from Hedgeville to see me, " she said. "Do yousuppose they're coming here?"

"Wanaka will come first. See, she's staying on the other side of thelake. It's a man. He's carrying her things. I'll paddle over for her ina canoe. I don't think the man will come with her, but you and Zara gointo the tent there. Then you'll be all right. No one would ever thinkof your being here, or asking any questions. "

But Bessie watched anxiously. She couldn't make out the face of the manwith Wanaka, as she peered from the door of the tent, but if he was fromHedgeville he would know her. Everyone knew the girl at Hoovers', whosefather and mother had deserted her. Bessie had long been one of themost interesting people in town to the farmers and the villagers, whohad little to distract or amuse them. 

"Stay quiet, Bessie, " warned Minnehaha, as she stepped into the canoe. "You'll be all right if you're not seen. I'll bring Wanaka back rightaway. "

With swift, sure strokes, Minnehaha sent the canoe skimming over thewater. The other girls were busy in various ways. Some were in thetents, changing their clothes for bathing suits; some had gone into thewoods to get fresh water from a spring. For the moment no one was insight. And suddenly, out of a clear sky, as it seemed, disasterthreatened. Clouds had been gathering for some time but the sun wasstill out, and there seemed no reason to fear any storm. 

But now there was a sudden roughening of the smooth surface of thewater; white caps were lashed up by a squall that broke with no warningat all. And Bessie, filled with horror, saw the canoe overturned by thewind. She saw, too, what eyes less quick would have missed--that thepaddle, released from Minnehaha's grasp as the boat upset, struck her onthe head. 

For a moment Bessie stood rooted to the spot in terror. And then, whenMinnehaha did not appear, swimming, Bessie acted. Forgotten was thedanger that she would be discovered--her fear of the man on the otherside of the lake. Wanaka might not have seen, and there was no time tolose. The accident had occurred in the middle of the lake, and Bessie, rushing to the beach, pushed off a canoe and began to drive it towardthe other canoe, floating quietly now, bottom up. The squall had passedalready. 

Bessie had never been in a canoe before that day. She made clumsy workof the paddling. But fear for Minnehaha and the need of reaching her atonce made up for any lack of skill. Somehow she reached the spot. Bythat time the other girls had seen what was going on, and help wascoming quickly. Some swam and some were in one of the other canoes. ButBessie, catching a one of the most interesting people in town to thefarmers and the villagers, who had little to distract or amuse them. 

"Stay quiet, Bessie, " warned Minnehaha, as she stepped into the canoe. "You'll be all right if you're not seen. I'll bring Wanaka back rightaway. "

With swift, sure strokes, Minnehaha sent the canoe skimming over thewater. The other girls were busy in various ways. Some were in thetents, changing their clothes for bathing suits; some had gone into thewoods to get fresh water from a spring. For the moment no one was insight. And suddenly, out of a clear sky, as it seemed, disasterthreatened. Clouds had been gathering for some time but the sun wasstill out, and there seemed no reason to fear any storm. 

But now there was a sudden roughening of the smooth surface of thewater; white caps were lashed up by a squall that broke with no warningat all. And Bessie, filled with horror, saw the canoe overturned by thewind. She saw, too, what busy with Minnehaha, who soon showed signs ofreturning consciousness. So Bessie did not see or hear what was going onoutside. 

For the man who had been standing with Wanaka on the other shore hadseen Bessie, and he had known her. No wonder, since it was Paw Hooverhimself, from whom Wanaka had bought fresh vegetables for the camp. Hehad insisted on helping her to carry them out, although Wanaka, thinkingof Bessie and Zara, had told him she needed no help. But she could notshake him off, and on the way he had told her about the excitinghappenings of the previous day, of which, she told him, she had alreadyheard in the village. 

"By Godfrey!" said Paw Hoover, as he saw the rescue of Minnehaha, "thatyoung one's got pluck, so she has! And, what's more, Miss, I've asuspicion I've seen her before!"

Wanaka said nothing, but smiled. What Paw Hoover had told her had donemore to confirm the truth of Bessie's story than all the talk she hadheard in Hedgeville. She liked the old farmer--and she wondered what hemeant to do. He didn't leave her long in doubt. 

"I'll just go over with you, " he said, "if you'll make out to ferry meback here again. "

And Wanaka dared not refuse. 

"Had an idea you was askin' a lot of questions, " said Paw Hoover, with achuckle. "Got lots of ideas I keep to myself--'specially at home. An'say, if that's Bessie, I want to see her. "

Wanaka saw that there was some plan in his mind, and she knew that totry to ward him off would be dangerous. There was nothing to prevent himfrom returning, later, with Weeks or anyone else. 

"Bessie!" she called. "Can you come out here a minute?"

And Bessie, coming out, came face to face with Paw Hoover! She stared athim, frightened and astonished, but she held her ground. And PawHoover's astonishment was as great as her own. This was a new Bessie hehad never seen before. She was neatly dressed now in one of Ayu's blueskirts and white blouses, and one of the girls had done up her hair in anew way. 

"Well, I swan!" he said. "You've struck it rich, ain't you, Bessie?Aimin' to run away and leave us?"

Bessie couldn't answer, but Wanaka spoke up. 

"You haven't any real hold on her, Mr. Hoover, " she said. 

"That's right, that's right!" said Paw Hoover. "I cal'late you've had ahard time once in a while, Bessie. An' I don't believe you ever set thatshed afire on purpose. If you hadn't jumped into the water after thatother girl I'd never have suspicioned you was here, Bessie. You stayright with these young ladies, if they'll have you. I'll not say a word. An' if you ever get into trouble, you write to me--see?"

He looked at her, and sighed. Then he beckoned to her, and took heraside. 

"Maw's right set on havin' her own way, Bessie, " he said. "But she's mywife, an' she's a good one, an' if she makes mistakes, I've got to lether have her way. Reckon I've made enough on 'em myself. Here, you takethis. I guess you've earned it, right enough. That fire didn't do noreal damage--nothin' we can't fix up in a day or two. "

Bessie's eyes filled with tears. Paw Hoover was simply proving againwhat she had always known--that he was a really good and kindly man. Shelonged to tell him that she hadn't set the barn on fire, that it hadbeen Jake. But she knew he would find it hard to believe that of hisson, and that, even if he took her word for it, the knowledge would be ablow. And it would do her no good, so she said nothing of that. 

"Thank you, Paw, " she said. "You always were good to me. I'll neverforget you, and sometime I'll come back to see you and all the others. Good-bye!"

"Good-bye, Bessie, " he said. "You be a good girl and you'll get alongall right. And you stick to Miss Mercer there. She'll see that you getalong. "

Not until he had gone did Bessie open her hand and look at the crumpledbill that Paw Hoover had left in it. And then, to her amazed delight, she saw that it was a five-dollar note--more money than she had everhad. She showed it to Wanaka. 

"I oughtn't to take it, " she said. "He thinks I burned his woodshedand--"

"But you know you didn't, and I think maybe he knows it, too, " saidWanaka, "You needn't think anything of taking that money. You've workedhard enough to earn a lot more than that. Now I've found out that whatyou told me was just right. I knew it all the time, but I made sure. Bessie, how would you and Zara like to stay with us, and come back tothe city when we go? I'll be able to find some way to look after you. You can find work to do that won't be so hard, and you can study, too. "

"Oh, I'd love that, Wanaka, " For the first time Bessie used the namefreely. "And can we be Camp Fire Girls?"

"You certainly can, " said Wanaka. 

CHAPTER V

AN ALARM IN THE NIGHT

Bessie, overjoyed by Paw Hoover's kindness and his promise to do nothingtoward having her taken back to Hedgeville, spent the rest of theafternoon happily. Indeed, she was happier than she could ever rememberhaving been before. But her joy was dashed when, a little while beforesupper, she came upon Zara, crying bitterly. Zara had gone off byherself, and Bessie, going to the spring for water, came upon her. 

"Why, Zara, whatever is the matter? We're all right now, " cried Bessie. 

"I--I know that, Bessie! But I'm so worried about my father!"

"Oh, Zara, what a selfish little beast I am! I was so glad to think thatI wasn't going to be taken back that I forgot all about him. But cheerup! I'm sure he's done nothing wrong, and I'll talk to Wanaka, and seeif there isn't something I can do or that she can do. I believe she cando anything if she makes up her mind she will. "

"Did she hear anything about him in Hedgeville?"

"Only what we knew before, Zara, that they'd come for him and taken himto the city. But Wanaka said she was sure that it is only gossip, andthat he needn't be afraid. And we're going to the city, too, you know, so you'll be able to see him. "

"Will I, Bessie? Then that won't be so bad. If I could only talk to himI'm sure it would seem better. And you must be right--they can't punisha man when he hasn't done anything wrong, can they?"

"Of course not, " said Bessie, laughing. 

"In the country where we came from they do, sometimes, " said Zara, thoughtfully. "My father has told me about things like that. "

"In Italy, Zara?"

"Yes. We're not Italians, really, but that's where we lived. "

"But you don't remember anything about that, do you?"

"No, but I've been told all about it. We used to live in a white house, on a hillside. And there were lemon trees and olive trees growing there, and all sorts of beautiful things. And you could look out over the bluesea, and see the boats sailing, and away off there was a greatmountain. "

"I should think you'd want to go back there, Zara. It must have beenbeautiful. "

"Oh, I've always wanted to see that place, Bessie. Sometimes, my fathersays, the mountain, would smoke, and fire would come out of it, and theground would shake. But it never hurt the place where we lived. "

"That must have been a volcano, Zara. "

"Yes, that's what he used to call it. "

"Why did you come over here?"

"Because my father was always afraid over there. There were some bad menwho hated him, and he said that if he stayed there they would hurt him. And he heard that over here everyone was welcome, and one man was asgood as another. But he wasn't, or they never seemed to think so, if hewas. "

Bessie looked very thoughtful. 

"This is the finest country in the world, Zara, " she said. "I've heardthat, and I've read it in books, too. But I guess that things go wronghere sometimes. You see, it's this way. Just think of Jake Hoover. "

"But I don't want to think about him! I want to forget him!"

"Well, Jake Hoover explains what I'm thinking about. He's an American, but that isn't the reason he was so mean to us. He'd be mean anywhere, no matter whether he was an American or what. He just can't help it. AndI think he'll get over it, anyhow. "

"There you go, Bessie! He's made all this trouble for you, and you'restanding up for him already. "

"No, I'm not. But what trouble has he made for me, Zara? I'm going to behappier than I ever was back there in Hedgeville--and if it hadn't beenfor him I'd still be there, and I'd be chopping wood or something rightnow. "

"But he didn't mean to make you happier, Bessie. He thought he could getyou punished for something he'd done. "

"Well, I wasn't, so why should I be angry at him, Zara? Even if he didmean to be nasty, he wasn't. "

"But suppose he'd hurt you some way, without meaning to at all? Wouldyou be angry at him then for hurting you, when he didn't mean to do it?"

"Of course not--just because he didn't mean to. "

"Well, then, " said Zara, triumphantly, "you ought to be angry now, ifit's what one means to do, and not what one does that counts. I wouldbe. "

Bessie laughed. For once Zara seemed to have trapped her and beaten herin an argument. 

"But I don't like to be angry, and to feel revengeful, " she said. "Ithurts me more than it does the other person. When anything happens thatisn't nice it only bothers you as long as you keep on thinking about it, Zara. Suppose someone threw a stone at you, and hit you?"

"It would hurt me--and I'd want to throw it back. "

"But then suppose the stone was thrown, and it didn't hit you, and youdidn't even know it had been thrown, you wouldn't be angry then, wouldyou?"

"Why, how could I be, Bessie, if I didn't know anything about it?"

"Well, don't you see how it worked out, Zara? If you refuse to noticethe mean things people do when they don't succeed in hurting you, it'sjust as if you didn't know anything about it, isn't it? And if the stonewas thrown, and you saw it, and knew who'd thrown it, you'd beangry--but you could get over it by just making up your mind to forgetit, and acting as if they'd never done it at all. "

Zara didn't answer for a minute. She was thinking that over. 

"I guess you're right, Bessie, " she said, finally. "That _is_ the bestway to do. When I get angry I get all hot inside, and I feel dreadful. I'm going to try not to lose my temper any more. "

"You'll be a lot happier if you do that, " said Bessie. "Now, let's getback to the fire. I've got this water, and they must be waiting for it. "

So Zara, happy again, and laughing now, helped Bessie with the pail ofwater, and they went back to the fire together. Everyone was busy, eachwith some appointed task. Two of the girls were spreading knives andforks, and laying out cups and dishes in a great circle near the water, since all the meals were eaten Indian fashion, sitting on the ground. Others, who had been fishing, were displaying their catch, and cleaningthe gleaming trout, soon to be cooked with crisp bacon, and to form thechief dish of the evening meal. 

Wanaka smiled at them as the two girls appeared with the water. 

"You're making a good start as Camp Fire Girls, " she told them. "We alltry to help. Later on, if you like, I'll give you a lesson in cooking. "

Bessie smiled, but said nothing. And presently she called to Zara anddisappeared with her in the woods. 

"I want to give them a surprise, Zara, " she said. "There's quite a longtime yet before supper. And I saw an apple tree when I was walkingthrough the woods. Let's go and get some of them. "

Zara was quite willing, and in half an hour or less the two girls wereback in camp with a good load of apples. Then Bessie spoke to Wanakawhen the Guardian was alone for the moment. 

"May I have some flour and sugar?" she said. 

Wanaka looked at her curiously, but gave her what she wanted. AndBessie, finding a smooth white board, was soon busy rolling pastry. Thenwhen she had made a great deep dish pie, and filled it with the apples, which Zara, meanwhile, had pared and cut, Bessie set to work on what wasthe most difficult part of her task. First she dug out a hole in theground and made a fire, small, but very hot, and, in a short time, withthe aid of two flat stones, she had constructed a practicable outdooroven, in which the heat of the embers and cinders was retained byshutting out the air with earth. Then the pie was put in and covered atonce, so that no heat could escape, and Bessie, saying nothing aboutwhat she had done, went back to help the others. 

Obeying the unwritten rule of the Camp Fire, which allows the girls towork out their ideas unaided if they possibly can, so as to encourageself-reliance and independence, Wanaka did not ask her what she haddone. But when the meal was over Bessie slipped away, while Wanaka wasserving out some preserves, and returned in a moment, bearing herpie--nobly browned, with crisp, flaky crust. 

"I've only made one pie like this before and I never used that sort ofan oven, " she said, shyly. "So I don't know if it's very good. But Ithought I would try it. "

Bessie, however, need not have worried about the quality of that pie. The rapidity with which it disappeared was the best possible evidence ofits goodness, and Wanaka commended her before all the girls, who werewilling enough to join the leader in singing Bessie's praises. 

"My, but that was good!" said Minnehaha. "I wish I could make a pie likethat! My pastry is always heavy. Will you show me how when we get home, Bessie?"

"Indeed I will!" promised Bessie. 

And that night, after a spell of singing and story telling about thegreat fire on the beach, Bessie and Zara went to bed with thoughts verydifferent from those they had had the night before. 

"Aren't they good to us, Zara?" said Bessie. 

"They're simply wonderful, " said Zara, with shining eyes. "And Wanakatalked to me about my father. She says she has a friend in the citywho's a lawyer, and that as soon as we get back she'll speak to him, andget him to see that he is fairly treated. I feel ever so much better. "

The voices of the girls all about them, laughing and singing as theymade ready for the night, and the kindly words of Wanaka, made a greatcontrast to their loneliness of the night before. Then everything hadseemed black and dismal. They hadn't known what they were going to do, or what was to happen to them; they had been hungry and tired, and withno prospect of breakfast when they got up. But now they had morefriends, gained in one wonderful day, than they had made before in alltheir lives, and Wanaka had promised to see that in the future thereshould always be someone to guide them and see that no one abused themany more. No wonder that they looked on the bright camp fire, symbol ofall the happiness that had come to them, with happy eyes. And theylistened in delight as the girls gathered, just before they went to bed, and sang the good-night song:

 "Lay me to sleep in sheltering flame, Oh, Master of the Hidden Fire. Wash pure my heart and cleanse for me My soul's desire. In flame of sunrise bathe my mind, Oh, Master of the Hidden Fire, That when I wake, clear eyed may be My soul's desire. "

And so, with the flames' light flickering before them, Bessie and Zarawent to sleep sure of happiness and companionship when they awoke in themorning, with the first rays of the rising sun shining into the tents. 

But Bessie was to awake before that. She lay near the door of one of thetents, which she shared with Zara, Minnehaha, and two other girls, andshe awoke suddenly, coming at once to full consciousness, as anyone whohad been brought up with Maw Hoover to wake her every morning was prettycertain to do at any unusual sound. For a moment, so deep was thesilence, she thought that she had been deceived. In the distance an owlcalled; much nearer, there was an answer. A light wind rustled in thetrees, stirring the leaves gently as it moved. Looking out, she saw thata faint, silvery sheen still bathed the ground outside, showing that themoon, which had risen late, was not yet set. 

And then the sound that had awakened her came again--a curious, hoarsecall, given in imitation of a whip-poor-will, but badly done. No birdhad uttered that cry, and Bessie, country bred, listening intently, knewit. Silently she rose and slipped on moccasins that belonged toMinnehaha, and a dress. And then, making no more noise than a cat wouldhave done, she crept to the opening in the front of the tent and peepedout. For Bessie had recognized the author of that imitation of thebird's call, and she knew that there was mischief afoot. 

Still intent on keeping the alarm she felt from the others, until sheknew whether there was a real cause for it, Bessie slipped out of thetent and into the shadow of the trees. The camp fire still burned, flickering in the darkness, and making great, weird shadows, as thelight fell upon the trees. It had been built up and banked before thecamp went to sleep, and in the morning it would still be burning, although faintly, ready for the first careful attentions of theappointed Wood-Gatherers, whose duty it was to see that the fire did notdie. 

Bessie, fearing that she might be spied upon, had to keep in thedarkness, and she twisted and turned from the trunk of one tree to thenext, bending over close to the ground when she had to cross an openspace where firelight or moonbeams might reveal her to watching eyes. 

And now and again, crudely given, as crudely answered, from further downthe lake, the call of the mock whip-poor-will guided her in her quest. And Bessie, plucking up all the courage she could muster, still trembledslightly, more from nervousness than from actual fear, for she knewwhose voice it was that was imitating the plaintive bird--Jake Hoover's!

All Hedgeville, as she well knew, must know that this camp of girls wasat the lake--and it would be just like Jake and some of the bullying, reckless crowd of boys that he made his chief friends, to think that itwould be a fine joke to play some tricks on the sleeping camp, and alarmthese girls who were trying to enjoy themselves with outdoor life, justas if they had been boys. Bessie, setting her teeth, determined thatthey shouldn't succeed, that in some fashion she would turn the joke onthem. 

Gradually she drew nearer to the sound, and she made up her mind, thankfully, that she had waked in time, before all the jokers hadarrived. She had snatched up a sheet as she left the camp, without aclear idea of what she meant to do with it, but now, as she stole amongthe trees, a dim figure, flitting from one dark place to the next, awild idea formed in her mind. 

It was risky--but Bessie was not timid. If Jake Hoover caughther--well, she knew what that would mean. He would not spare her, as hisfather had done, and there would be trouble for her, and for Zara and, worst of all, for Wanaka and her other new friends. And there wasanother danger. It might not, after all, be Jake Hoover that she heard. 

At the Hoovers' she had heard stories of tramps and wandering gypsies, and she had been warned, whenever there was a report that any suchvagrants were about, to keep off the roads and stay near the house. Jake, after all, could only betray her to his mother and the others whowere after her, but a tramp or a gypsy might do far worse than that. But, though the solitude and the darkness were enough to frighten peopleolder and stronger than Bessie, she kept on. And at last, before her, she heard footsteps tramping down the dry leaves and branches, and sheheard a murmur of voices, too. 

At once part of her fears fled, for it was Jake Hoover's voice that cameto her ears. 

"Ha-ha!" he was laughing. "Gee, it took you fellers long enough to githere. But, say, boys, won't we have some fun with them girls? Actin' upjust like they was boys, sleepin' out in the woods an' pretendin'they're as brave as anythin'. I saw that one that bought a lot of truckfrom Paw to-day. Bet she'll scream as loud as any of them. "

"Bet she will, " said another voice. "Say, Jake, we won't hurt 'em none, will we? Jest throw a scare into them, like?"

"Sure, that's all!"

"'Cause I wouldn't want to hurt 'em none. They're jest girls, afterall. "

"All we'll do will be just to get around them tents an' start yellin'all at once--an' I'll bet they'll come a-runnin'. Ha-ha!"

But the laugh was frozen on his lips. As he spoke he looked behind him, warned by a faint sound--and his hair rose. For waving its arms wildly, a figure, all in white, was running toward him. As it came it madestrange, unearthly sounds--horrid noises, such as Jake had never heard. 

For a moment Jake and the two boys with him stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear. Then they yelled together, and, the sound of theirown voices seeming to release their imprisoned feet, turned and ranwildly, not knowing where they were going. 

They tripped over roots, fell, then stumbled to their feet again, andcontinued their flight, shrieking. And behind them the ghost, weak withlaughter, collapsed on a fallen tree trunk and laughed silently as theyfled--for the ghost that had frightened these bold raiders was onlyBessie, wrapped in the sheet she had so luckily snatched up when theyhad given her the alarm. 

CHAPTER VI

A PIECE OF BAD LUCK

Bessie laughed until she cried as the bold raiders who had been so surethat they could scare the camp of girls dashed madly off. She could hearthem long after they had vanished from sight, crying out in their fear, plunging among the trees, but gradually the sounds grew fainter, andBessie, sure that they need fear no more disturbance from Jake Hooverand his brave companions, set out on her return to the camp. This timeshe had no need of the precautions she had taken as she crept in thedirection of the disturbing sounds, and she made no effort to concealherself. 

Wanaka was outside, looking about anxiously, when Bessie came again intothe firelight. Always a light sleeper, and especially so when she wasresponsible for the safety of the girls who were in her charge, EleanorMercer had waked at first of Bessie's terrifying shrieks, almost asfrightened, for the moment, as Jake himself. She had risen at once, anda glance in the various tents, where the girls still lay sound asleep, showed her that Bessie alone was missing. 

Naturally enough, she could not guess the meaning of the outcry. Thecries of the frightened jokers puzzled her, and there was nothing aboutthe din that Bessie made to enable the Guardian to recognize the voiceof her newest recruit. But she had realized, too, that to go out in thewoods in search of Bessie and of an explanation, was not likely to domuch good. Her duty, too, was with the girls who remained, and she couldonly wait, wondering. She greeted Bessie with a glad cry when she sawher. 

"Oh, I'm so glad!" she exclaimed. "But what are you doing with thatsheet? And--why, you're crying!"

"I'm not--really, " said Bessie. "But I laughed so hard that it made thetears come--that's all, Wanaka. "

Then she told her story, and Wanaka had to laugh, too. She was greatlyrelieved. 

"But you ought to have called me, Bessie, " she said. "That's why I'mhere, you know--to look out for things when there seems to be anydanger, or anything you girls don't quite understand. "

"But I wasn't quite sure, you see, " said Bessie. "And if it had reallybeen a bird, it would have been awfully foolish to wake everyone up justbecause I thought I heard something. "

"You'll be able to win a lot of honors easily, Bessie, when you comeinto the Camp Fire. That's one of the things the girls do--they learnthe calls of the birds, and to describe them and all sorts of thingsabout the trees and the flowers. You must know a lot of them already. "

"I guess everyone does who's lived in the country. Some people canimitate a bird so it would almost fool another bird--but not Jake. He'sstupid. "

"Yes, and like most people who try to frighten others, he's a coward, too, Bessie. He showed that to-night. "

"I'm not afraid of him any more. If I'd known before how easy it was tofrighten him I'd have done it. Then he'd have let me alone, probably. "

"Well, you go to bed now, and get to sleep again. And try to forgetabout Jake and all the other people who have been unkind to you. Remember that you're safe with us now. We'll look after you. "

"I know that, and I can't tell you how good it makes me feel. "

Wanaka laughed then, to herself. 

"I say we'll look after you, " she said, still smiling. "But so far itlooks more as if you were going to look after us. You saved Minnehaha inthe lake--and to-night you saved all the girls from being frightened. But we'll have to begin doing our share before long. "

"As if you hadn't done a lot more for me already than I'll ever be ableto repay!" said Bessie. "And I know it, too. Please be sure of that. Good-night. "

"Good-night, Bessie. "

In the morning Bessie and Zara woke with the sun shining in their faces, and for a long minute they lay quiet, staring out at the dancing water, and trying to realize all that happened since they had said good-bye toHedgeville. 

"Just think, Zara, it's only the day before yesterday that all thosethings happened, and it seems like ever so long to me. "

"It does to me, too, Bessie. But I'll be glad when we get away fromhere. It's awfully close. "

"And, Zara, Jake Hoover was around here last night!"

"Does he know you're here? Was that why he came?"

"No, " said Bessie, laughing again at the memory of the ghost. And shetold Zara what had happened. 

"He won't come around again at night, but it would be just like him tosnoop around here in the daytime, Bessie. "

"I hadn't thought of that, Zara. But he might. If he stops to think andrealizes that someone turned his own trick against him, or if he tellssomeone, and they laugh at him, he'll want to get even. I'd certainlyhate to have him see one of us. "

But their fears were groundless. For, as soon as breakfast was over, Wanaka called all the girls together. 

"We're going to move, " she said. "I know we meant to stay here longer, but Bessie and Zara will be happier if we're somewhere else. So we willgo on to-day, instead of waiting. And I've a pleasant surprise for you, too, I think. No, I won't tell you about it now. You'll have to waituntil you see it. Hurry up and clean camp now, and begin packing. Wewant to start as soon as we can. "

Bessie was amazed to see how complete the arrangements for packing were. Everything seemed to have its place, and to be so made that it could gointo the smallest space imaginable. The tents were taken down, dividedinto single sections that were not at all heavy, and everything else hadbeen made on the same plan. 

"But how about the canoes?" asked Bessie. "We can't carry those with us, can we?"

"I've often carried one over a portage--a short walk from one lake tothe next in the woods, " said Minnehaha, laughing. "It's a lot easierthan it looks. Once you get it on your back, it balances so easily thatit isn't hard at all. And up in the woods the guides have boats thatthey carry that way for miles, and they say they're easier to handlethan a heavy pack. But those boats are very light. "

"But we'll leave them here, anyhow, " said another girl. "They don'tbelong to us. They were just lent to us by some people from the city whocome here to camp every summer. They own this land, too, and they let ususe it. "

And then Bessie saw, as the first canoe was brought in, the cleverhiding-place that had been devised for the boats. They were dragged up, and carried into the woods a little way, and there a couple of fallentrees had been so arranged that they made a shelter for the canoes. Afew boards were spread between the trunks, and covered with earth andbranches so it seemed that shrubbery had grown up over the place wherethe canoes lay. 

"In the winter, of course, the people that own them take them away wherethey'll be safe. But they leave them out like that most of the summer. Some of them come here quite often, and it would be a great nuisance tohave to drag the canoes along every time they come and go. "

Long before noon everything was ready, and Wanaka, who had gone away fora time, returned. 

"You and Zara look so different that I don't believe anyone wouldrecognize either of you, " she told Bessie. "You look just like the restof the girls. So, even if we should meet anyone who knows you, I thinkyou'd be safe enough. "

"Not if it was Maw Hoover, " said Zara so earnestly that Wanaka laughed, although she felt that there was something pathetic about Zara's fear ofthe farmer's wife, too. 

"Well, we're not going to meet her, anyhow, Zara. And she'd never expectto find you and Bessie among us, anyhow. We aren't going across the lakeand over to the main road. We're going right through the woods to thenext valley. It's going to be a long day's trip, but it's cool, and Ithink a good long tramp will do us all good. "

"That's fine, " said Bessie. "No one over there will know anything aboutus. Is that why we made so many sandwiches and things like that--so thatwe could eat our lunch on the way?"

"Yes, and we'll build a fire and have something hot, too. Now you canwatch us put out the fire. "

"I hate to see it go out, " said Zara. "I love the fire. "

"We all do, but we must never leave a fire without someone to tend it. Fire is a great servant, but we must use it properly. And a littlefire, even this one of ours, might start a bad blaze in the woods hereif we left it behind us. "

Bessie nodded wisely. 

"We had an awful bad fire here two or three years ago. It was justbefore Zara came out here. Someone was out in the woods hunting, orsomething like that, and they left a fire, and the wind came up and setthe trees on fire. It burned for three or four days, and all the men inthe town had to turn out to save some of the places near the woods. "

"Almost all the big fires in the forests start because someone iscareless just like that, Bessie. They don't mean any harm--but theydon't stop to think. "

Then all the girls gathered about the fire, and each in turn did herpart in stamping out the glowing embers. They sang as they did thisduty, and Bessie felt again the curious thrill that had stirred her whenshe had heard the good-night song the evening before. 

"I know what it is that is so splendid about the Camp Fire Girls, Zara, " she said, suddenly. "They belong to one another, and they dothings together. That's what counts--that's why they look so happy. We've never had anything to belong to, you and I, anything like this. Don't you see what I mean?"

"Yes, I do, Bessie. And that's what makes it seem so easy when theywork. They're doing things together, and each of them has something todo at the same time that all the others are working, too. "

"Why, I just loved washing the dishes this morning, " said Bessie, smiling at the thought. "I never felt like that before, when Maw Hooverwas always at me to do them, so that I could hurry up and do somethingelse when I got through. And I did them faster here, too--much faster. Just because I enjoyed it, and it seemed like the most natural thing todo. "

"I always did feel that way, but then I only worked for myself and myfather, " said Zara. 

Then the walk through the cool, green woods began. The girls startedout in Indian file, but presently the trail broadened, so that theycould walk two or three abreast. It was not long before they came intocountry that Bessie had never seen, well as she knew the woods near theHoover farmhouse. 

Wanaka, careful lest too steady a walk should tire the girls, called ahalt at least once an hour, and, when the trail led up hill, oftener. And at each halt one girl or another, who had been detailed at the laststop, reported on the birds and wild animals she had seen since the lastcheck, and, when she had done, all the others were called on to tell ifthey had seen any that she had missed. 

"It's just like a game, isn't it?" said Zara. "I think it's great fun!"

The halt for lunch was made after they had come out of the woods, by theside of a clear spring. They were on a bluff, high above a windingcountry road, with a path worn by the feet of thirsty passersby who knewof the spring, and some thoughtful person had piped the water down to abig trough where horses could drink. But they could not, from the placewhere the fire had been made, see the road or the carriages. 

"I don't think anyone will come along looking for you, " Wanaka toldBessie, "but if we stay out of sight we'll surely be on the safe side. "

Suddenly, as they were about to sit down, Zara cried out. 

"My handkerchief!" she said. "It's gone--and I had it just before wecrossed the road. I must have dropped it there. I'll go back and see. "

"I'll go with you, " cried Bessie, jumping up. But before she could move, Zara, laughing, had dashed off, and Bessie dropped back to her placewith a smile. 

"She's as quick as a flash, " she said. "She always could beat me in arace. There's no use in my going after her. "

But, even as she spoke, a wild cry of terror reached their ears--thatand the sound of a man's coarse laughter. Bessie started to her feet, her eyes staring in fright. And she led the rush of the whole party tothe edge of the bluff. 

Driving swiftly down the road away from Hedgeville was a runabout. Andin it Bessie saw Zara, held fast by a big man whose back she recognizedat once. It was Farmer Weeks!

"Oh, that's Farmer Weeks!" she cried "He'll get them to give Zara tohim, and he'll beat her and treat her terribly. "

Despairingly she made to run after the disappearing horse. But Wanakachecked her, gently. 

"We must be careful--and slow, " she said. 

CHAPTER VII

A FRIEND IN NEED

"But we must do something, really we must, Miss Eleanor!" cried Bessie. "I must, I mean. Zara trusted me, and if I don't help her now, justthink of what will happen. "

"You must keep calm, Bessie, that's the first thing to think of. If youlet yourself get excited and worked up you won't help Zara, and you'llonly get into trouble yourself. You say she trusted you--now you musttrust me a little. Tell me, first, just what this man will do and if hehas any right at all to touch her. "

"Why, he's the meanest man in town, Wanaka! He really is--everyone saysso! None of the men would work for him in harvest time. They said heworked them to death and wouldn't give them enough to eat. "

"Yes, but why should he pick Zara up that way and carry her off?"

"Because he wants to make her work for him. He's awfully rich, and PawHoover said he'd lent money to so many men in the village and all aroundthat they had to do just what he told them, or he'd sell their land andtheir horses and cattle. And he said he'd make the people at thepoor-farm bind Zara over to him and then she'd have to work for himuntil she was twenty-one, just for her board. "

"That's pretty serious, Bessie. I'm sure he wouldn't be a good guardian, but if he had such influence over the men, maybe they wouldn't stop tothink about that. "

She was silent for a minute, thinking hard. 

"Where was he going with her, Bessie? He seemed to be driving away fromHedgeville. "

"Yes, he was. I suppose he was going over to Zebulon. That's the countyseat, and he goes over there quite often. Almost every time they holdcourt, I guess. Paw Hoover said he was a mighty bad neighbor, alwaysgetting into lawsuits. "

"Well, I think I'd better go to Zebulon. If I talk to him, perhaps I canmake him give Zara up. How far is it, Bessie?"

"Only about two miles. But if you go, can't I go with you?"

"I think I'd better go alone, Bessie. If he saw you, he might try totake you back to the Hoovers, you know. No, I'll go alone. If it's onlytwo miles, it won't take me long to walk there, and I can get someone todrive me back. Girls!"

They crowded about her. 

"I'm going away for a little while. You are to stay here and wait forme. And keep close together. I'll get back as soon as I can. And whileI'm gone you can clear up the mess we made with luncheon--when you'vefinished it, I mean. Now, you'd better hurry up and eat it. I won'twait. "

And the guardian hurried off, determined to rescue Zara from theclutches of the old miser who was so anxious to make her work for him, because he saw a chance to get a good deal for nothing, or almostnothing. If the general opinion about Silas Weeks was anywhere neartrue, it would cost him mighty little to satisfy himself that he waskeeping faith with the county and giving Zara, in return for herservices, good board, lodging, and clothing. 

Bessie watched Wanaka go off, and she tried to convince herself thateverything would be all right. But, strong as was the faith she alreadyhad in Miss Mercer, she knew the ways of Silas Weeks too well to bereally confident. And she couldn't get rid of the feeling that she, andno one else, was responsible for Zara. It was because of her that Zarahad come away, and Bessie felt that she should make sure, herself, thatZara didn't have cause to regret the decision. 

And then, suddenly, too, another thought struck her. What if she had, without intention, misled Miss Eleanor? Suppose Farmer Weeks didn't goto Zebulon at all? It was possible, for Bessie remembered now thatthree-quarters of a mile or so along the road was a crossroad thatwould lead him, should he turn there, back to Hedgeville. 

With the thought Bessie could no longer remain still. She knew theroads, and she determined that she must at least find out where Zara hadbeen taken. She might not be able to help her herself, but she could getthe news, the true news, for those who could. And, saying nothing to anyof the other girls, lest they should want to come with her, she slippedoff silently. 

She did not descend to the road. If one farmer from Hedgeville hadpassed already, others might follow in his wake, and Bessie was fiercelydetermined not to let anything check her or interfere with her until sheknew what had become of Zara. 

So, although she might have been able to travel faster by the road, Bessie stayed above, and hurried along, making the best progress shecould, although the going was rough. She could see, without being seen. If anyone who threatened her liberty came along, she could hide easilyenough behind a tree or a clump of bushes. 

At the crossroad she hesitated. She wasn't sure that Farmer Weeks hadturned off. He might very well, as she had thought at first, have beenon his way to Zebulon. 

"What a stupid I am!" she thought in a moment, however. "Of course Iought to take the crossroad! If he's gone to Zebulon Wanaka will findhim, and if he hasn't, he must have gone this way. If I turn off here, there'll be someone after him, no matter which way he's gone. "

So, still keeping to the side of the road, she followed the pointer onthe signboard which said, "Hedgeville, six miles. "

About a mile and a half from the crossroads the road Bessie was nowfollowing crossed a railroad, and as she neared that spot she moved ascarefully as she could, for a suspicion that gave her a ray of hope wasrising in her mind. At the railroad crossing there was a littlesettlement and an inn that was very popular with automobilists. AndBessie thought it was possible that Farmer Weeks might have stoppedthere. Miser as he was, he was fond of good food, and, since he was hisown cook most of the time when he was at home, he didn't get much of itexcept when he was away, as he was now. Bessie had heard Maw Hooversneer at him more than once for the way he hinted for an invitation todinner or supper. 

"Old skinflint!" Bessie had heard Maw say. "I notice he has a way offorgettin' anythin' he wants to tell Paw till jest before meal time. Then he comes over post haste, and nothin'll do but Paw's got to standout there listenin' to him, when all he wants, really, is to have mering the bell, so's Paw'll have to ask him to stay. "

Even in her sorrow at Zara's plight, Bessie couldn't help laughing atthe remembrance of those times. But then the smoke of the inn came insight, and Bessie forgot everything but the need of caution. If FarmerWeeks were there, he must on no account see her. That would end anychance she had of helping Zara. 

She crept through a grove of trees that surrounded the inn, to work upbehind it. In the rear, as she knew, were the stables, and the placewhere the automobiles of the guests were kept. She wanted to get a lookat the horses and carriages that were tied in the shed for she wouldknow Farmer Weeks' rig anywhere, she was sure. But she had to becareful, for the inn was a busy spot, and around the horses and theautos, especially, were lots of men, working, smoking, loafing--and anyone of them, Bessie felt sure, was certain to question her if they sawher prowling about. 

She got behind the shed, and then she had to work along to the endfarthest from the direction of the road she had left, since, at the nearend, a group of men were sitting down and eating their lunch. But, withthe shed full of horses making plenty of noise, to screen her movements, that wasn't so difficult. Bessie managed it all right, and, when she gotto the far end, and had a chance to peep at the horses, her heart leapedjoyfully, for she saw within a few feet of her Farmer Weeks' horse andbuggy, the buggy sadly in need of paint and repairs, and the harness afair indication of the miserly nature of its owner, since it was patchedin a dozen places and tied together with string in a dozen others. 

"Well, I know that much, anyhow!" said Bessie to herself. "He didn'ttake her to Zebulon, and he can't have done anything yet. I don'tbelieve he's got any right to keep her that way, not unless the peopleat the poor-farm give him the right to take her. Zara hasn't doneanything--it isn't as if she'd been arrested, and were running away fromthat. "

Suddenly Bessie started with alarm. She had drawn back among the treesto hide while she tried to think out the best course of action for herto take, and she heard someone moving quite close to her. But then, asthe one who had frightened her came into view, she smiled, for it wasonly a small boy, very dirty and red of face, his white clothes soiled, but looking thoroughly happy, just the same. 

"Hello!" he said, staring at her. 

"Hello, yourself! Where did you come from? And wherever did you get allthat dirt on yourself?"

"Oh, in the woods, " said the small boy. "Say, my name's Jack Roberts, and my pop owns that hotel there. What's your name? Do you likecherries? Can you climb a tree? Did you ever go out in the woods allalone? Can you swim?"

"My, my! One question at a time, " laughed Bessie. "I love cherries. Haveyou got some?"

"Bet I have!" he said. The single answer to all his questions seemed tosatisfy him thoroughly, and he pulled out a great handful of cherriesfrom his straw hat, which he had been using for a basket. 

"Here you are, " he said. "Say, do you know that other girl?"

Bessie's heart leaped again. She felt that she had struck real luck atlast. 

"What other girl?" she asked, but even as she asked the question, herheart sank again. He couldn't mean Zara. How could he possibly knowanything about her?

"She was dressed just like you, " he said. "And she had black hair andher skin was dark. So she didn't look like you at all, you see. She wascrying, too. Say, aren't those cherries good? Why don't you eat them?"

Bessie was so interested and excited when she heard him speak of Zarathat she forgot to eat the cherries. But she saw that she had hurt hisfeelings by her neglect of his present, and she made amends at once. Sheate several of them, and smacked her lips. 

"They're splendid, Jack! They're the best I've eaten this year. I thinkyou're lucky to be able to get them. "

Jack was delighted. 

"You come here again later on and I'll give you some of the best pearsyou ever tasted. "

"Tell me some more about the girl, Jack--the other girl, with blackhair. I think perhaps she's a friend of mine. Why was she crying?"

"I don't know but she was. She was going on terrible. And she was withher pop, I guess. So I s'pose she'd just been naughty, and he'd punishedher. "

"What makes you think that, Jack?"

"Oh, he came in, and he talked to my pop, and they both laughed andlooked at her. He had her by the hand, and she didn't say anything--shejust cried. And my pop says, 'Well, I've got just the place for her. Toobad to send her off without her dinner, but when they're bad they've gotto be punished. ' And he winked at her, but she didn't wink back. "

"What happened then, Jack?"

"They put her up in my room. See, you can see it there, right over thetree with the branch torn off. See that branch? It was torn off in thatstorm yesterday. "

"And didn't she have any dinner?"

"Oh, yes. My pop, he sent her some dinner, of course. He was justjoking. That's why he winked at her. He'd never let anyone go hungry, mypop wouldn't!"

"What sort of looking man brought her here, Jack?"

"Oh, he--he was just a man. He had white hair, and eye-glasses. Say, that's his rig right there in the corner of the shed. I don't think muchof it, do you?"

Bessie wondered what she should do. She liked Jack, and she was sure hewould do anything he could for her. But he was only a little boy, and itseemed as if that would not be very much. But he was her only hope, andshe decided to trust him. 

"Jack, " she said, soberly, "that is my friend, and I've been looking forher. And that old man isn't her father at all. He wants to make her dosomething horrid--something she doesn't want to do at all. And if shedoesn't get away, I'm afraid he will, too. "

"Say, I didn't like him when I first saw him! I'd hate to have him fora pop. Why doesn't she run away?"

"How can she, Jack?"

"Huh, that's just as easy! Why, I never go down the stairs at all, hardly, from my room. The branches of that big tree stick right over tothe window, and it's awful easy to climb down. "

"She could do that, too, Jack, but she doesn't know I'm here to helpher. She'd think there wasn't any use getting down. "

"Say, I'll climb up and tell her, if you like. Shall I?"

"Will you, really, Jack? And tell her Bessie is waiting here for her?Will you show her how to get down, and how to get here? And don't youthink someone will see her?"

"No, an' if they do, they can't catch us. I've got a cave back herethat's the peachiest hiding-place you ever saw! I'll show you. They'llnever find you there. You just wait!"

He was off like a flash, and Bessie, terribly anxious, but hopeful, too, saw him run up the tree like a squirrel. Then the branches hid him fromher, and she couldn't see what happened at the window. But before shehad waited more than two minutes, although it seemed like hours to poorBessie, Jack was in sight again, and behind him came Zara. She droppedeasily to the ground, and ran toward Bessie, behind Jack, like a scaredrabbit. 

"Oh, Bessie, I'm so glad--so glad!" she cried. "I was so frightened--"

From the inn there was a shout of anger. 

"Gee! He's found out already, " cried Jack. "Come on! Don't be scared!I'll show you where to hide so he'll never find you. Run--run, just asfast as you can!"

And they were off, while Farmer Weeks shouted behind them. 

CHAPTER VIII

THE SHELTER OF THE WOODS

For the first few minutes as they ran, the three of them were too busyto talk, and they needed their breath too much to be anxious to sayanything. Jack, his little legs flying, covered ground at an astonishingpace. Zara had always been a speedy runner, and now, clutching Bessie'shand tightly, she helped her over some of the harder places. 

They were running right into the woods, as it seemed to Bessie, and morethan once, as she heard sounds of pursuit behind, she was frightened. Itseemed to her impossible that little Jack, mean he never so well, couldpossibly enable them to escape from angry Farmer Weeks, who, for an oldman, seemed to be keeping up astonishingly well in the race. But soonthe noises behind them grew fainter, and it was not long before theground began to rise sharply. Jack dropped to a walk, and the two girls, panting from the hard run, were not slow to follow his example. 

"This is like playing Indians, " said Jack, happily. "It's lots offun--much better than playing by myself. Here's my cave. "

"Don't you think we'd better go on, Bessie?" panted Zara. "We're aheadof them now, and they might find us here. "

"No, I think we'd better stop right here. Would you ever know there wasa cave here if Jack hadn't uncovered the entrance? And see, it's so wildthat we'd have to stick to the path, and we don't know the way. I'mafraid they'd be sure to catch us sooner or later if we went on. "

"Listen!" said Jack. "They're getting nearer again!"

And sure enough, they could hear the shouts of those who were followingthem, and the noise was getting louder. Bessie hesitated no longer, butpushed Zara before her into the cave. Jack followed them. 

"See, " he said, "I can pull those branches over, and they'll never seethe mouth of the cave. They'll think these are just bushes growing here. Isn't it a bully place? I've played it was a smuggler's cave, and allsorts of things, but it never was as good fun as this. "

"Just think that way, " said Bessie to poor Zara, who was trembling likea leaf. "When we get back with the girls, we'll think this is just goodfun--a fine adventure. So cheer up, we're safe now. "

"But how will we ever get back to them, even if they don't catch usnow?" asked Zara. "We'll be seen when we go out, won't we?"

"No, indeed, " said Bessie. "I'll bet Jack's thought about that, haven'tyou, Jack?"

"You bet!" he said, proudly. "They'll go by, and they'll keep on for along way, and then they'll think they've gone so far that a girlcouldn't ever have done it. And then they'll decide they've missed her, and they'll turn around and come back again, and hunt around near thehotel. And when they do that--"

"Hush!" said Bessie. "Here they come! Keep quiet, now, both of you!Don't even breathe hard--and don't sneeze, whatever you do!"

And then, lying down close to one another, at full length on the floorof the cave, which Jack, for his play, had covered with soft branches ofevergreen trees, they peeped out through the leafy covering of the cavewhile Farmer Weeks went by, snorting and puffing angrily, like some wildanimal, his eyes straight ahead. He never looked at the cave, or intheir direction, but the next man, one employed about the hotel, seemedto have his eyes fixed directly on the branches. Bessie thought helooked suspicious. She was sure that he had spied the device, and wasabout to call to Farmer Weeks. But, when he was still a few feet off, hetripped over a root, and sprawled on his face, and, if he had everreally had any suspicions at all, the fall seemed to drive them from hismind effectually. He picked himself up, laughing, since the fall hadnot hurt him, and, after he had shouted back a warning to two men whofollowed him, he went on, dusting himself off. 

The root had been good to the fugitives, sure enough, for the men whofollowed kept their eyes on the ground, looking out for it, since theyhad no desire to share the tumble of the man in front, and neither ofthem so much as looked at the cave. 

"My, but they're brave men!" said Jack. "Three of them, all to chase onelittle girl!"

Zara, her fears somewhat relieved, laughed as she looked at her rescuer. 

"I'm bigger than you are, " she said, smiling. 

"Yes, but you're a girl, " said Jack, in a lordly fashion that would havemade Bessie laugh if she hadn't been afraid of hurting his feelings. "And I've rescued you, haven't I? Did you ever read about the Knights ofthe Round Table, and how they rescued ladies in distress? I'm yourknight, and you ought to give me a knot of ribbon. They always do in thebooks. "

Zara looked puzzled. 

"Haven't you ever read about them?" said Jack, looking disappointed. Butthen he turned to Bessie. "You have, haven't you?"

"I certainly have, Jack, and Zara shall, soon. They were brave men, Zara, who lived centuries ago. And whenever they saw a lady who neededhelp they gave it to her. Jack's quite right; he is like them. "

Jack flushed with pleasure. He had liked Bessie from the start and nowhe adored her. 

"You're Zara's true knight, Jack, and she'll give you that ribbon fromher hair. But you mustn't let anyone see it, or tell about thisadventure, unless your father asks you. You mustn't say anything thatisn't true, but only answer questions. Don't offer to tell people, orelse you may be punished, because Farmer Weeks would say we were bad, and that it was wrong to help us. "

"I wouldn't believe him, and neither would my pop, I know that. He's thegreatest man that ever lived--greater than George Washington. And he'llsay I was just right if I tell him. I just know he will. "

"But maybe he and Farmer Weeks are friends, Jack. Then he'd think it wasall wrong, wouldn't he?"

"My pop wouldn't have him for a friend, Bessie, don't you believe hewould! My pop would never lock a girl up in a room by herself withouther dinner, even if she'd been bad. "

"I wonder why they're so long coming back, " said Bessie, finally. "Won'tthey miss you, Jack?"

"Not if I get back in time for supper. They don't care what I do whenit's a holiday, like this. They know I know my way around here, andthere aren't any wild animals. I wish there were!"

"Wouldn't you be afraid of them?"

"Not a bit of it! I'd have a gun, and I'd shoot them, just as quick asquick!"

"Even if they weren't trying to hurt you?"

"Yes, why shouldn't I? Everyone does, in all the books. "

"But we don't act the way people in books do, Jack. We can't. Thingsaren't just that way. Books are to read, to learn things, and for fun, but we've got to remember that real life's different. "

"Well, I bet if I saw a lion coming through that wood there I'd killhim. "

"Suppose he ate you up first?" asked Zara. 

"He'd better not! My pop'd catch and make him sorry he ever did anythinglike that! Say, it is taking them a long time to come back. Maybethey've lost their way. "

"Could they around here?"

"You bet they could! Lots of people do, from the hotel, and we have tosend out and find them, so's they don't have to stay out all night. Say, did you hear something just then?"

They listened attentively, and presently Zara keen ears detected asound. 

"There's someone coming, " she said. "Listen! You can hear them quiteplainly now. "

They were quiet for a minute. 

"They must be quite close, " said Zara, then. "We heard them much furtheroff than that when they were coming after us. I wonder why they got sonear before we heard them this time?"

"That's easily explained, Zara, " said Bessie. "When they were going thewind was behind them. Now it's in front of them. And they were going uphill, too, so there may have been an echo, because they were shoutingtoward the rocks upon the hill. Now that's changed, too. "

"Say, you're a regular scout!" said Jack approvingly. "_I_ knew allthat, but I didn't suppose girls knew things like that. Say, when I getold enough I'm going to be a Boy Scout. That'll be fine, won't it? I'llhave a uniform, and a badge, and everything. "

"Splendid, Jack! We're going to be Camp Fire Girls, and we'll haverings, and badges, too. "

"What are Camp Fire Girls? Are they like the Boy Scouts?"

"Something like them, Jack. Sometime, when I know more about them, I'llcome back and tell you all about it. I know it's nice--but I don'treally know much more than that yet. "

Then they had to be still again, for the voices of the returning hunterswere very plain. They could hear Farmer Weeks, loud and angry, in thelead. 

"Ain't it the beatin'est thing you ever heard of?" he was asking one ofhis companions. "How do you guess that little varmint ever got away?"

"Better give it up as a bad job, old hayseed, " said another voice. "She's too slick for you--and I can't say I'm sorry, either. Way you'vebeen goin' on here makes me think anyone'd be glad to dig out and runaway from a chance to work for you. "

"Any lazy good-for-nothing like you would--yes, " said Farmer Weeks, enraged by the taunt. "I make anyone that gits my pay or my vittleswork--an' why shouldn't they? If you'd gone on, like I wanted you to, we'd have caught her. "

"We ain't workin' for you, an' we never will, neither, " said the otherman, laughing. "Better be careful how you start callin' us names, I cantell you. If you ain't you may go home with a few of them whiskers ofyour'n pulled out. "

"You shut your trap!"

"Sure! I'd rather hear you talk, anyhow. You're so elegant and refinedlike. Makes me sorry I never went to collidge, so's I could talk thatway, too. "

They couldn't make out what Farmer Weeks replied to that. He was soangry that he just mumbled his words, and didn't get them out properly. Zara was smiling, her eyes shining. But then the old farmer's voice roseloud and clear again, just as he passed the cave. 

"I'll git her yet, " he said, vindictively. "I know what she's done, allright. She's gone traipsin' off with that passel of gals that Paw Hooversold his garden truck to yesterday. I heard 'em laughin' and chatterin'back there on the road where I found her. She'll go runnin' back to'em--and I'll show 'em, I will!"

"Aw, you're all talk and no do, " said the other man, contemptuously. "You talk big, but you don't do a thing. "

"I'll have the law on 'em. That gal's as good as mine for the time tillshe's twenty-one, an' I'll show 'em whether they can run off that waywith a man's property. Guess even a farmer's got some rights--an' I canafford to pay for lawin' when I need it done. "

"I s'pose you can afford to pay us for runnin' off on this wild goosechase for you, then? Hey?"

"Not a cent--not a cent!" they heard Farmer Weeks say, angrily. "I ain'ta-goin' to give none of my good money that I worked for to any low-downshirkers like you--hey, what are you doin' there, tryin' to trip me up?"

A chorus of laughter greeted his indignant question, but he seemed totake the hint, for the fugitives in the cave heard no more talk fromhim, although for some time after that the sounds in the direction thepursuers had taken on their return to the inn were plain enough. 

When the last sounds had died away, and they were quite sure that theywere safe, for the time, at least, Bessie got up. 

"Suppose we follow this trail right up the way they went?" Bessie askedJack. "Where will it bring us?"

"To the top of the mountain, " said Jack. "But if you want to go off thatway I'll walk a way with you, and show you where you can strike off andcome to another trail that will bring you out on the main road toZebulon. "

"That'll be fine, Jack. If you'll do that, you'll help us ever so much, and we'll be able to get along splendidly. "

"We'd better start, " said Zara, nervously. "I want to get away as soonas ever I can. Don't you, Bessie?"

"Indeed I do, Zara. I'm just as afraid of having Farmer Weeks catch usas you are. If he found me he'd take me back to Maw Hoover, I know. Andshe'd be awfully angry with me. "

"I'm all ready to start whenever you are, " announced Jack. "Come on. Itgets dark early in the woods, you know. They're mighty thick when youget further up the mountain. But if you walk along fast you'll get outof them long before it's really dark. "

So they started off. Little Jack seemed to be a thorough woodsman and toknow almost every stick and stone in the path. And presently they cameto a blazed tree--a tree from which a strip of bark had been cut with ablow from an axe. 

"That's my mark. I made it myself, " said Jack, proudly. "Here's where weleave this trail. Be careful now. Look where I put my feet, and comethis same way. "

Then he struck off the trail, and into the deep woods themselves wherethe moss and the carpet of dead leaves deadened their footsteps. Although the sun was still high, the trees were so thick that the lightthat came down to them was that of twilight, and Zara shuddered. 

"I'd hate to be lost in these woods, " she said. 

Then, abruptly, they were on another trail. Jack had been a true guide. 

"You can't lose your way now, " he said. "Keep to the trail and gostraight ahead. "

"Good-bye, Jack, " said Bessie. "You're just as true and brave as any ofthe knights you ever read about, and if you keep on like this you'll bea great man when you grow up--as great as your father. Good-bye!"

"Good-bye and thank you ever so much, " called Zara. 

"Come again!" said Jack, and stood there until they were out of sight. 

It was not long before they came out near the main road, and now Zaragave a joyful cry. 

"Oh, I'm so glad to be here!" she exclaimed. "Those woods frightened me, Bessie. They were so dark and gloomy. And it's so good to see the sunagain, and the fields and the blue sky!"

Bessie looked about her curiously as she strove to get her bearings. Then her face cleared. 

"I know where we are now, " she said. "We're still quite a littledistance from where we stopped for lunch and Farmer Weeks got hold ofyou, Zara. We'll have to go up the road. You see, it brought us quite alittle out of our direct way--going back in the woods as we did. But itwas worth it--to get away from Farmer Weeks. "

"I should think it was!" said Zara. "I'd walk on my hands for a mile tobe free from him. He was awful. He drove up just as I got down to theroad, and as soon as I saw him I started to run. But I was so frightenedthat my knees shook, and he jumped out and caught me. "

"What did he say to you?"

"Oh, everything! He said he could have me put in prison for runningaway, and he asked me where you were, but I wouldn't say a thing. Iwouldn't even answer him when he asked me if I'd seen you. And he saidthat when I came to work for him, he'd see that I got over my lazinessand my notions. "

"Well, you're free of him now, Zara. Oh!"

"What is it, Bessie?"

"Zara, don't you remember what he said? That he'd find us through theCamp Fire Girls? He knows about them! If we go right back to them now, we may be walking right into his arms. Oh, how I wish I could get holdof Miss Eleanor--of Wanaka!"

They stared at one another in consternation. 

CHAPTER IX

A CLOSE SHAVE

"I never thought of that, Bessie! Do you suppose he'd really go afterthe girls and look for us there?"

"You could hear how mad he was, Zara. I think he'd do anything he couldto get even with you for running away like that. It made him lookfoolish before all those men and it'll be a long time before folks lethim forget how he was fooled by a girl. "

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm trying to think. If I could get word to Miss Eleanor, she'd knowwhat to tell us, I'm sure. I'm afraid she'll be wondering what's becomeof me--and maybe she'll think I just ran away, and think I was wrong todo it. "

"But she'll understand when you tell her about it, Bessie, and if youhadn't come I never would have got away by myself. I'd have been afraideven to try, if there'd been a chance. "

"The worst part of it is that if Farmer Weeks really has any right tokeep you, or if you were wrong to run away, it might get Miss Eleanorinto trouble if they could find out that she's been helping you to getaway. "

They were walking along the road, but now Bessie, who had forgotten theneed of caution in her consternation at the thought of the new plightthey faced, pulled Zara after her into the bushes beside the highway. 

"I heard wheels behind us, " she explained. "We mustn't take anychances. "

They stopped to let the wagon they had heard pass by, but as it camealong Bessie cried out suddenly. 

"That's Paw Hoover!" she said. "And I'm going to speak to him, and askhim what he thinks we ought to do. I'm sure he'll give us good advice, and that he's friendly to us. "

She hailed him, and the old farmer, mightily surprised at the sound ofher voice, pulled up his horses. 

"Whoa!" he shouted. "Well, Bessie! Turning up again like a bad penny. What's the matter now?"

Breathlessly Bessie told him what had happened, and of Zara's escapefrom Farmer Weeks, while Zara interrupted constantly to supply somedetail her chum had forgotten. 

"Well, by gravy, I dunno what to say!" said Paw Hoover, scratching hishead and looking at them with puzzled eyes. "I don't like SilasWeeks--never did! I'd hate to have a girl of mine bound over tohim--that I would! But these lawyers beat me! I ain't never had no truckwith them. "

"Will the law make Zara go to him, Paw?" asked Bessie. 

"I dunno, Bessie--I declare I dunno!" he answered, slowly. "He seemsalmighty anxious to get hold of her--an' I declare I dunno why. Seemslike there must be lots of other girls over there at the poor-farm hecould take if he's so powerful anxious, all of a sudden, to have a girlto work for him. I did hear say, though, that he'd got some sort of apaper signed by the judge--an' if that's so, there ain't no tellin' whathe can do. Made him her gardeen, I guess, whatever that is. "

"But Zara doesn't need a guardian! She's got her father, " said Bessie. 

Paw shook his head. He looked as if he didn't think much of the sort ofguardianship Zara's father would give her. He was a good, just man, buthe shared the Hedgeville prejudice against the foreigner. 

"I reckon you're right about not wantin' to get those young ladies I sawyou with mixed up with Silas, Bessie, " he went on, reflectively. "Toobad you can't get hold of that Miss Mercer. She's as bright as a button, she is. Now, if she were here, she'd find a way out of this hole beforeyou could say Jack Robinson!"

"I believe she could, too, " said Bessie. "If you'd seen the way shestarted out after Farmer Weeks when I told her I thought he must havegone to Zebulon!"

"Zebulon? Was she a goin' there? Then maybe she ain't come back yet, an'we could meet her on the way. Eh?"

"Oh, I'm afraid she must have gone back to the girls long ago, " saidBessie. 

"Well, you jump in behind there, and get under cover. Ain't no one goin'to look in--you'll be snug there, if it is a mite hot. An' I'll justdrive along an' see if I can't meet your Miss Mercer. Then we'll knowwhat to do. An' I'll spell it over, an' maybe I'll hit on some way tohelp you out myself, even if we don't meet her. Like as not I'll comeacross Silas Weeks, too, but he'll never suspicion that you're in herewith me. Ha! Ha! Not in a million years, he won't. No, sir!"

Bessie laughed, and she and Zara jumped in happily. 

"We've got ever so many friends, after all, Zara, " she said, in awhisper, as they drove along. "Look at Paw Hoover. He's been as nice ashe can be, and he thinks I set his place on fire, too! I'm sure thingswill be all right. We'll find the girls again, and everything will bejust as we had planned. "

"Bessie, why do you suppose Farmer Weeks is so set on having me to workfor him? Doesn't that seem funny to you? I'm not as clever as lots ofgirls he could get, I'm sure. "

"I can't guess, Zara. But we'll find out sometime, never fear. Did heand your father ever have anything to do with one another?"

"They did just at first when we came out here. He came over to our placein the evenings a good deal, and he and my father used to talk together. But I never knew what they talked about. "

"Did they seem friendly?"

"They were at first. "

"Then I should think he would have tried to help your father when therewas trouble. "

"No, no! They had an awful quarrel one night, and my father said he wasas bad as some of the people who hated him in Europe, and that he'dhave to look out for him. He said he was so rich that people would dowhat he wanted, and after that he was afraid, and whenever he did anywork, he used to get me to stay around outside the house and tell him ifanyone came. And he always used to say that it was Farmer Weeks hewanted me to look out for most. "

"Well, there's not much use in our thinking about it, Zara. The more wepuzzle our brains over it, the less we'll know about it, I'm afraid. "

"That's so, too, Bessie. I'm awfully sleepy. I can hardly keep my eyesopen. "

"Don't try. You've had a hard time to-day. Get to sleep if you can. I'llwake you up if there's any need for it. I'm tired, but I'm not sleepy atall, and this ride will rest me splendidly. "

Bessie peeped out now and then, and she kept her eyes open on thelookout for the spring where Farmer Weeks had surprised Zara. But whenthey passed it, although she looked out and listened hard, she couldn'ttell whether the Camp Fire Girls were on the bluff above the roadside ornot, and she was afraid to ask Paw Hoover to stop and let her find outfor certain, since there was the chance that Farmer Weeks might havereturned with the idea that Zara, having escaped his clutches, wouldnaturally have come back to the place of her capture. 

Bessie understood very well that, while Paw Hoover was proving himself atrue friend, and was evidently willing to do all he could for them, itwould never do for Silas Weeks or anyone else from Hedgeville to knowthat he was befriending the two fugitives. She could guess what MawHoover would say to him if she learned that he had helped her, and ifthere was the chance that Farmer Weeks might get Miss Mercer intotrouble through her friendship for them, Paw Hoover was running the samerisk. 

Until after they reached the crossroads where Bessie had so fortunatelybeen led to take the right turn in her pursuit of Zara earlier in theday, they did not pass or meet a single vehicle of any sort, nor evenanyone on foot. Zara slept soundly, and Bessie, soothed by the motion ofthe wagon, was beginning to nod sleepily. 

She had almost dozed off when she was aroused sharply by a sudden shoutto his horses from Paw Hoover, and she heard him call out laughingly:

"Hello, there, Miss Mercer! Didn't expect to see me again so soon, didyou? I'll bet I've got the surprise of your life for you. "

Then she heard Wanaka's clear voice. 

"Oh, Mr. Hoover! You don't mean--"

"Yes, I do--and the pair of them, too, " he said. 

"Well, really? Oh, I'm so relieved! I've been half wild about poorlittle Zara. I wasn't so afraid for Bessie--she's better able to carefor herself. "

How proud Bessie was when she heard that!

"Jump up, Miss Mercer. Then you can talk to Bessie. She's keeping undercover, like the wise young one she is. I'm afraid there's still troublestirring, Miss Mercer. "

"I know there is, Mr. Hoover, " Eleanor answered, gravely. And then shelooked through to see Bessie, and in a moment they were in one another'sarms. 

"I've been to Zebulon, and I've found out lots of things, " said Eleanor. "Bessie, unless we're very careful that horrid old Mr. Weeks will gethold of Zara again, and the law will help him to keep her. I don't knowhow you got her away from him; you can tell me that later. But just nowI've thought of a way to beat him. "

"I knew you would, " said Bessie. 

"The law is wrong, sometimes, I'm sure, " said Eleanor. "And I'm just assure that this is one of the times. I've seen Mr. Weeks, and no onewould trust Zara to him. He'd treat her harshly, I know, and I don'tbelieve it would be easy to get him punished for it--around here, atleast. "

"You're right there, ma'am, " said Paw Hoover. "Silas Weeks has got toomany mortgages around here not to be able to have his own way when he'sreally sot on getting it. "

"Now, listen, " said Eleanor quickly to Bessie. "I'm going to change allour plans because I'm sure we can do more good than if we stuck to whatwe meant to do. Mr. Hoover, can you spare the time to drive Bessie andZara to the road that crosses this about half a mile before you come toZebulon, and then a little way down that road, too?"

"I'll make the time, " said Paw, heartily. 

"Then it's going to be easy. I want them to get to the railroad. Thereare too many people around the station in Zebulon, and there'd almostsurely be someone there who knew them. I'm not sure of just where Mr. Weeks is right now. He might even be there himself. So that's toorisky--"

"I see what you're driving at, " said Paw, suddenly. His face broke intoa smile. "There's a station further down the line--a little no-accountstation, ain't there? I've seen it. "

"Yes, Perryville. But the down train stops there, and it isn't just aflag stop, either. Now, listen, Bessie. Mr. Hoover will take you there, or nearly there, so that you can easily walk the rest of the way. Andwhen you get there don't get by the track until you hear the traincoming. Stay where no one is likely to see you, and then, when the trainwhistles, run over and be ready to get on board. And get off at PineBridge--Pine Bridge, do you hear? Will you remember that? When you getthere, just wait. I'll be there almost as soon as you are. "

Paw Hoover burst into a roar of laughter as he listened. 

"Bessie said you'd have a way to beat Silas Weeks, and, great Godfrey, you sure have!" he said. "I never thought of that--but you're right. Gether out of the state, and there ain't no way under heaven that Silas canget hold of the girl unless she comes back of her own accord. Courtwrits don't run beyond state lines, not unless they're in the Federalcourt. Godfrey, but you're smart all right, young lady!"

"Thank you, " said Eleanor, smiling at him in return for the compliment. "You're sure you understand, Bessie? Here's the money for your fare. Youwon't have time to buy tickets, so just give the money to theconductor. "

Then she dropped from the wagon to the road and Paw Hoover whipped uphis horses. 

"You sleep, if you can, Bessie, " he said. "I'll wake you up when it'stime to get down. "

And Bessie, her mind relieved, was glad to obey. It seemed to her thatshe had only just gone to sleep when Paw Hoover shook her gently toarouse her. 

"Here we are, " he said. "Station's just over there--see, beyond thebend. Remember what Miss Mercer told you, now, and good luck, Bessie! Ireckon we'll see you again sometime. "

There were tears in Bessie's eyes as she said good-bye. She watched himdrive off, and then she and Zara sat down to wait for the coming of thetrain. They sat on the grass, behind a cabin that had been abandoned, where they could see the track while they themselves were hidden fromanyone approaching by the road they had come. And before long the railsbegan to hum. Then, in the distance, there was the shriek of a whistle. 

"Come on, Zara, " cried Bessie, and they ran toward the station, just asthe train came into sight, its brakes grinding as it slowed down. 

And then, as they climbed aboard, there was the sudden sound ofgalloping hoofs, and of hoarse shouting. Farmer Weeks, in his buggy, raced toward the train, his hands lifted as he called wildly to theconductor to stop. 

CHAPTER X

OUT OF THE WOODS

The train only stopped for a moment at the little station. Seldom, indeed, did it take on any passengers. And on that trip it was alreadylate. Even as the two girls climbed up the steps the brakeman gave hissignal, the conductor flung out his hand, and the wheels began to move. And Farmer Weeks, jumping out of his buggy, raced after it, yelling, butin vain. 

Swiftly the heavy cars gathered speed. And Bessie and Zara, frightenedby their narrow escape, were still too delighted by the way in whichFarmer Weeks had been baffled to worry. They felt that they were safenow. 

"I suppose that old hick thought we'd stop the train for him, " theyheard the conductor say to the brakeman. "Well, he had another guesscoming! Look at him, will you?"

"He's mad all through!" said the brakeman, laughing, "Well, he had aright to be there when the train got in. If we waited for every farmerthat gets to the station late, we'd be laid off in a hurry, I'll bet. "

Bessie and Zara were in the last car of the train, and they could lookback as it sped away. 

"See, Zara, he's standing there, waving his arms and shaking his fist atus, " she said. 

"He can't hurt us that way, Bessie. Well, all I hope is that we've seenthe last of him. Is it true that he can't touch me except in thisstate?"

"That's what Wanaka said, Zara. And she must know. "

Then the conductor came around. 

"We didn't get our tickets, so here's the money, " said Bessie. "We wantto get to Pine Bridge. "

"You didn't have much more time than you needed to catch this train, "said the conductor, as he took the money. "Pine Bridge, eh? That's ourfirst stop. You can't make any mistake. "

"How soon do we cross the state line, Mr. Conductor?" asked Zara, anxiously. 

The conductor looked out of the window. 

"Right now, " he said. "See that white house there? Well, that's almoston the line. The house is in one state, and the stable's in the other. Why are you so interested in that?" He looked at them in suddensuspicion. "Here, was that your father who was so wild because he didn'tcatch the train? Were you running away from him?"

Bessie's heart sank. She wondered if the conductor, should be really besuspicious, could make them go back, or keep them from getting off thetrain at Pine Bridge. 

"No, he wasn't any relative of ours at all, " she said. 

"Seems to me he was shouting about you two, though, " said the conductor. "Hey, Jim!"

He called the brakeman. 

"Say, Jim, didn't it look to you like that hayseed was trying to stopthese two from gettin' aboard instead of tryin' to catch the trainhimself?"

"Never thought of that, " said Jim, scratching his head. "Guess maybe hewas, though. Maybe we'd better send 'em back from Pine Bridge. "

"That's what I'm thinking, " said the conductor. 

"We've paid our fare. You haven't any right to do that, " said Bessie, stoutly, although she was frightened. "And I tell you that man isn't ourfather. He hasn't got anything to do with us--"

"He seemed to think so, and I believe that was why you came running thatway to catch the train, without any tickets. You say he's not yourfather. Who is he? Do you know him at all?"

Bessie wished she could say that she did not; wished she could, truthfully, deny knowing Farmer Weeks at all. But not even to avert whatlooked like a serious danger would she lie. 

"Yes, we know him, " she said. "He's a farmer from Hedgeville. And--"

"Hedgeville, eh? What's his name?"

"Weeks--Silas Weeks. "

The effect of the name was extraordinary. Conductor and brakeman doubledup with laughter, and for a moment, while the two girls stared, neitherof them could speak at all. Then the conductor found his voice. 

"Oh, ho-ho, " he said, still laughing. "I wouldn't have missed that for aweek's pay! If I could only have seen his face! Don't you worry anymore! We'll not send you back to him, even if you were running from him. Don't blame anyone for tryin' to get away from that old miser!"

"Wish he'd tried to jump aboard after we started, " said Jim, thebrakeman. "I'd have kicked him off, and I wouldn't have done it gently, either!"

"We know Silas Weeks, " explained the conductor. "He's the worst kickerand trouble maker that ever rode on this division. Every time he'saboard my train he gives us more trouble in one trip than all the otherpassengers give us in ten. He's always trying to beat his way withoutpayin' fare, and scarcely a time goes by that he don't write to theoffice about Jim or me. "

"Lot of good that does him, " said Jim. "They don't pay any attention tohim. "

"No, not now. They're getting used to him, and they know what sort of amischief maker he is. But he's a big shipper, an' at first they used toget after me pretty hard when he wrote one of his kicks. "

"Before I came on the run, you mean?"

"Sure! He'd been at it a long time before I got you, Jim. You see, hesends so much stuff by freight they had to humor him--and they still do. But now they just write him a letter apologizin' and don't bother meabout it at all. Bet I've lost as much as a week's pay, I guess, goin'to headquarters in workin' time to explain his kicks. He's got a swellchance of gettin' help from me!"

Then the two trainmen passed on, but not until they had promised to seethe two girls safe off the car at Pine Bridge. 

"People usually get paid back when they do something mean, Zara, " saidBessie. "If Farmer Weeks hadn't treated those men badly, they wouldprobably have sent us back. But as soon as they heard who he was, yousaw how they acted. "

"That's right, Bessie. I bet he'd be madder than ever if he knew that. Someone ought to tell him. "

"He'd only try to make more trouble for them, and perhaps he could, too. No, I don't want to bother about him any more, Zara. I just want toforget all about him. I wonder how long we'll have to wait at PineBridge. "

"Miss Eleanor didn't say what she was going to do, did she?"

"No; she just said that she'd get there, and that she had decided tochange all her plans on our account. "

"We're making an awful lot of trouble for her, Bessie. "

"I know we are, and we've got to show her that we're grateful and doanything we can to help her, if she ever needs our help. I thought whenwe started from Hedgeville after the fire that we would be able to getalong together somehow, Zara, but I see now how foolish that was. "

"I believe you'd have managed somehow, Bessie. You can do 'mostanything, I believe. "

"I'm afraid you'll find out that I can't before we're done, Zara. Wedidn't have any money, or any plans, or anything. It certainly was luckyfor us that we went to that lake where the Camp Fire Girls were. If ithadn't been for them we'd be back in Hedgeville now, and much worse offthan if we hadn't tried to get away. "

"There's the whistle, Bessie. I guess that means we're getting near PineBridge. "

"Well, here you are! Going to meet your friends here?" said theconductor. 

"Yes; thank you, " said Bessie. "We're ever so much obliged, and we'll beall right now. "

"You sit right down there on that bench in front of the station, "advised the conductor. "Don't move away, or you'll get lost. Pine Bridgeis quite a place. Bigger than Hedgeville--quite a bit bigger. And ifanyone tries to bother you, just you run around to the street in frontof the station, and you'll find a fat policeman there. He's a friend ofmine, and he'll look after you if you tell him Tom Norris sent you. Remember my name--Tom Norris. "

"Thank you, and good-bye, Mr. Norris, " they called to him together, asthey stepped off the car. Then the whistle blew again, and the train wasoff. 

Although there were a good many people around, no one seemed to pay muchattention to the two girls. Everyone seemed busy, and to be so occupiedwith his own affairs that he had no time to look at strangers or thinkabout what they were doing. 

"We're a long way from home now, Zara, you see, " said Bessie. "I guessno one here will know us, and we'll just wait till Miss Eleanor comes. "

"Maybe she's here already, waiting for us. "

"Oh, I don't think so. "

"We'd better look around, though. How is she going to get here, Bessie?"

"I don't know. She never told me about that. We were talking as fast aswe could because we were afraid Farmer Weeks might come along any time, and that would have meant a lot of trouble. "

"Suppose he follows us here, Bessie?"

"He won't! He'll know that we're safe from him as soon as we're out ofthe state. I'm not afraid of him now--not a bit, and you needn't be, either. "

"Well, if you're not, I'll try not to be. But I wish Miss Eleanor wouldcome along, Bessie. I'll feel safer then, really. "

"You've been brave enough so far, Zara. You mustn't get nervous now thatwe're out of the woods. That would be foolish. "

"I suppose so, but I wasn't really brave before, Bessie. I was terriblyfrightened when he locked me in that room. I didn't see how anyone wouldknow what had become of me, or how they could find out where I was intime to help me. "

"Did you think about trying to run away by yourself?"

"Yes, indeed, but I was afraid I'd get lost. I didn't know where wewere. I'd never been that way before. "

"It's a good thing you waited, Zara. Even if you had got away and gotinto those woods where Jack took us, it would have been dangerous. Youmight easily have got lost, and it's the hardest thing to find peoplewho are in the woods. "

"Why?"

"Because they get to wandering around in circles. If you can see thesun, you can know which way you're going, and you can be sure of gettingsomewhere, if you only keep on long enough. But in the woods, unless youknow a lot of things, there's nothing to guide you, and people justseem, somehow, bound to walk in a circle. They keep on coming back tothe place they started from. "

Pine Bridge was a junction point, and while the girls waited, patientlyenough, it began to grow dark. Several trains came in, but, though theylooked anxiously at the passengers who descended from each one of them, there was no sign of Miss Mercer. 

"I hope nothing's happened to her, " said Zara anxiously. 

"Oh, we mustn't worry, Zara. She's all right, and she'll come alongpresently. "

"But suppose she didn't, what should we do?"

"We'd be able to find a place to spend the night. I've got money, youknow, and the policeman would tell us where to go, if we went to him, asthe conductor told us to do. "

Another train came in on the same track as the one that had broughtthem. Again they scanned its passengers anxiously, but no one who lookedat all like Miss Mercer got off, and they both sighed as they leanedback against the hard bench. Neither of them had paid any attention tothe other passengers, and they were both startled and dismayed when atall, gaunt figure loomed up suddenly before them, and they heard theharsh voice of Farmer Weeks, chuckling sardonically as he looked down onthem. 

"Caught ye, ain't I?" he said. "You've given me quite a chase--but I'verun you down now. Come on, you Zara!"

He seized her hand, but Bessie snatched it from him. 

"You let her alone!" she said, with spirit. "You've no right to touchher!"

"I'll show you whether I've any right or not, and I'm going to take herback with me!" Farmer Weeks said, furiously. "Come on, you baggage!You'll not make a fool of me again, I'll promise you that!"

"Come on, " said Bessie, suddenly. She still held Zara's hand, and beforethe surprised farmer could stop them, Bessie had dragged Zara to herfeet, and they had dashed under his outstretched arm and got clear away, while the loafers about the station laughed at him. 

"Come back! You can't get away!" he shouted, as he broke into a clumsyrun after them. "Come back, or I'll make you sorry--"

But Bessie knew what she was about. Without paying the slightestattention to his angry cries, she ran straight around to the front ofthe station, and there she found the fat policeman. 

"Won't you help us?" she cried. "Mr. Norris, the conductor, said youwould--"

"What's wrong?" said the policeman, starting. He had been dozing. "Anyfriend of Tom's is a friend of mine--here, here, none of that!"

The last remark was addressed to Farmer Weeks, who had come up andseized Zara. 

"I've got an order saying I've a right to take her, " exclaimed Weeks. 

"But it's not good in this state--" interrupted Bessie. 

"Let's see it, " said the policeman. 

Weeks, storming and protesting, showed him the court order. 

"That's no good here. You'll have to get her into the state where itwas issued before you can use that, " said the policeman. 

"You're a liar! I'll take her now--"

The policeman's club was out, and he threatened Weeks with it. 

"You touch her and I'll run you in, " he said, angrily. "We don't standfor men laying their hands on girls and women in this town. Get awaywith you now! If I catch you hanging around here five minutes from now, I'll take you to the lock-up, and you can spend the night in a cell. "

"But--" began Weeks. 

"Not a word more--or I'll do as I say, " said the policeman. He wasenergetic, if he was fat, and he had put a protective arm about Zara. Weeks looked at him and then he slunk off. 

And, as he went, the girls heard a merry chorus, "Wo-he-lo, Wo-he-lo, "just as another train puffed in. 

CHAPTER XI

THE CALL OF THE FIRE

"Wo-he-lo!"

How they did thrill at the sound of the watchword of the Camp Fire! Howclearly, now, they understood the meaning of the three syllables, thathad seemed to them so mysterious, so utterly without meaning, when theyhad first heard them on the shores of the lake, as, surprised, theypeeped out and saw the merry band of girls who had awakened them aftertheir flight from Hedgeville. 

For a moment, so overjoyed were they, they couldn't move at all. Butthen the spell was broken, as the call sounded again, loud and clear, rising above the noises of the engine that was puffing and snorting onthe other side of the station. Farmer Weeks, a black look in his eyes ashe shot them a parting glance full of malice, was forgotten as he slunkoff. 

"Thank you, oh, thank you!" cried Bessie to the astonished policeman, who looked as if he were about to begin asking them questions. "Come on, Zara!"

And, hand in hand, they raced around to the other side of the stationagain, but blithely, happily this time, and not in terror of theirenemy, as they had come. And there, looking about her in all directions, was Eleanor Mercer, and behind her all the girls of the Manasquan CampFire. 

"Oh, I'm so glad! I was afraid something had happened to you!" criedEleanor. "But now it's all right! We're all here, and safe. In thisstate no one can hurt you--either of you!"

Laughing and full of questions, the other girls crowded around Zara andBessie, so happily restored to them. 

"We feel as if you were real Camp Fire Girls already!" said EleanorMercer, half crying with happiness. "The girls were wild with anxietywhen they found you had gone away, too, Bessie, even though we hadn'ttold them everything. But they were delighted when I got back and toldthem you were safe. "

"We were, indeed, " said Minnehaha. "But it was awful, Bessie, not toknow what had become of you, or how to help you! We'd have done anythingwe could, but we didn't know a single thing to do. So we had just towait, and that's the hardest thing there is, when someone you love is introuble. "

Bessie almost broke down at that. Until this wonderful meeting with theCamp Fire Girls no one but Zara had loved her, and the idea that thesegirls really did love her as they said--and had so nobly proved--wasalmost too much for her. She tried to say so. 

"Of course we love one another, " said Eleanor. "That's one of the lawsof the Fire, and it's one of the words we use to make up Wo-he-lo, too. So you see that it's just as important as it can be, Bessie. "

"Yes, indeed, I do see that. I'd be awfully stupid if I didn't, afterthe splendid way you've helped us, Miss Eleanor. What are we going todo now?"

"We're going to join the big camp not far from here. Three or four CampFires are there together, and Mrs. Chester, who is Chief Guardian in thecity, wants us to join them. I talked to her about you two over thelong-distance telephone before we got on the train, and she's so anxiousto see you, and help me to decide what is best for you to do. You'lllove her, Bessie; you're sure to. She's so good and sweet to everyone. All the girls just worship her. "

"If she's half as nice as you, we're sure to love her, " said Zara. 

Eleanor laughed. 

"I'm not half as wonderful as you think I am, Zara. But I'm nicer than Iused to be, I think. "

"Oh!"

"Yes, indeed! I used to be selfish and thoughtless, caring only abouthaving a good time myself, and never thinking about other people at all. But Mrs. Chester talked to me. "

"I'll bet she never had a chance to scold you. "

"I'm afraid she did, Zara; but she didn't want to. That's not her way. She never scolds people. She just talks to them in that wonderful, quietway of hers, and makes them see that they haven't been doing right. "

"But I don't believe you ever did anything that wasn't right. "

"Maybe I didn't mean to, and maybe it wasn't what I did that was wrong. It was more what I didn't do. "

"I don't see what you mean. "

"Well, I was careless and thoughtless, just as I said. I used to dance, and play games, and go to parties all the time. "

"I think that must be fine! Didn't you have to work at home, though?"

"No; and that was just the trouble, you see. My people had plenty ofmoney, and they just wanted me to have a good time. And I did--but I'vehad a better one since I started doing things for other people. "

"I bet you always did, really--"

"I'm not an angel now, Zara, and I certainly never used to be, nor a bitlike one. Just because I've happened to be able to help you two alittle, you think altogether too much of me. "

"Oh, no; we couldn't--"

"Well, as I was saying, Mrs. Chester saw how things were going, and shestarted to talk to me. I was horrid to her at first, and wouldn't payany attention to her at all. "

"I'm going to ask her about that. I don't believe you ever were horridto anyone. "

"Probably Mrs. Chester won't admit it, but it's true, just the same, Bessie. But she talked to me, and kept on talking, and she made me thinkabout all the poorer girls who had to work so hard and couldn't go toparties. And I began to feel sorry, and wonder what I could do to makethem happier. "

"You see, that's just what we said! You weren't selfish at all!"

"I tried to stop as soon as I found out that I had been, Zara; that'sall. And I think anyone would do that. It's because people don't thinkof the unhappiness and misery of others that there's so much suffering, not because they really want other people to be unhappy. "

"I guess that's so. I suppose even Farmer Weeks wouldn't be mean if hereally thought about it. "

"I'm sure he wouldn't--and we'll have to try to reform him, too, beforewe're done with him. You see, if there were more people like Mrs. Chester, things would be ever so much nicer. She heard about the CampFire Girls, and she saw right away that it meant a chance to make thingsbetter, right in our home town. "

"Is that how it all started?"

"Yes, with us. And it was the same way all over the country, because, really, there are lots and lots of noble, unselfish women like Mrs. Chester, who want everyone to be happy. "

"Is she as pretty as you, Miss Eleanor?"

"Much prettier, Zara; but you won't think about that after you'vetalked to her. She got hold of me and some of the other girls like me, who had lots of time and money, and she made us see that we'd be twiceas happy if we spent some of our time doing things for other people, instead of thinking about ourselves the whole time. And she's beenperfectly right. "

"I knew you enjoyed doing things like that--"

"Yes; so you see it isn't altogether unselfish, after all. But Mrs. Chester says that we ought all try to be happy ourselves, because that'sthe best way to make other people happy, after all, as long as we neverforget that there are others, and that we ought to think of servingthem. "

"That's like in the Bible where it says, 'It is more blessed to givethan to receive, ' isn't it?"

"That's the very idea, Bessie! I'm glad you thought of that yourself. That's just the lesson we've all got to learn. "

"But we haven't been able to help anyone yet, Miss Eleanor. Everyone'shelping us--"

"Don't you worry about that, Bessie. You'll have lots of chances tohelp others--ever so many! Just you wait until you get to the city. There are lots of girls there who are more wretched than you--girls whodon't get enough to eat, and have to work so hard that they never haveany fun at all, because when they get through with their work they're sotired they have to go right to sleep. "

"Bessie was like that, Miss Eleanor. "

"I'm afraid she was, Zara. But we're going to change all that. Mrs. Chester has promised to help, and that means that everything will be allright. "

"Do you think I could ever do anything to help anyone else, MissEleanor?"

"I'm sure you have already, Zara. You've been a good friend to Bessie, and I know you've cheered her up and helped her to get through days whenshe was feeling pretty bad. "

"Indeed she has, Miss Eleanor! Many and many a time! Since I've knownher I've often wondered how I ever got along at all before she came toHedgeville!"

"You see, Zara, doing things for others doesn't mean always that you'respending money or actually doing something. Sometimes the very best helpyou can give is by just being cheerful and friendly. "

"I hadn't thought of that. But I'm going to try always to be like that. Miss Eleanor, when can we be real Camp Fire Girls?"

"I talked to Mrs. Chester about that to-day, and I think it will beto-night, Bessie. "

"Oh, that will be splendid!"

"Yes, won't it? You see, it's the night for our Council Fire--that'swhen we take in new members, and award honors and report what we'vedone. We hold one every moon. That's the Indian name for month. You see, month just means moon, really. This is the Thunder Moon of the Indians, the great copper red moon. It's our month of July. "

"And will we learn to sing the songs like the other girls?"

"Yes, indeed. You'll find them very easy. They're very beautiful songsand I think we're very lucky to have them. "

"Who wrote them? Girls that belong?"

"Some of them, but not all, or nearly all. We have found many beautifulsongs about fire and the things we love that were written by other poetswho never heard of the Camp Fire Girls at all. And yet they seem to bejust the right songs for us. "

"That's funny, isn't it, Miss Eleanor?"

"Not a bit, Zara. Because the Camp Fire isn't a new thing, really. Notthe big idea that's back of it, that you'll learn as you stay with us, and get to know more about us. All we hope to do is to make our girlsfine, strong women when they get older, like all the great brave womenthat we read about in history. They've all been women who loved thehome, and all it means--and the fire is the great symbol of the home. Itwas fire that made it possible for people to have real homes. "

"I've read lots and lots of things about fire, " said Bessie. "Longfellow, and Tennyson, and other poets. "

But then her face darkened suddenly. 

"It was fire that got me into trouble, though, " she said. "The fire thatJake Hoover used to set the woodshed afire. "

"That was because he was misusing the fire, Bessie. Fire is a greatservant. It's the most wonderful thing man ever did--learning to make afire, and tend it, and control it. Have you heard what it says in theFire-Maker's Desire? But, of course, you haven't. You haven't been at aCouncil Fire yet. Listen:

 "For I will tend, As my fathers have tended And my father's fathers Since Time began The Fire that is called The love of man for man-- The love of man for God. "

"That's a great promise, you see, Bessie. It's a great honor to be aFire-Maker. "

"I see, Miss Eleanor. Yes, it must be. How does one get to be aFire-Maker? One begins by being a Wood-Gatherer, doesn't one?"

"Yes, and all one has to do to be a Wood-Gatherer is to want to obey thelaw of the Fire--the seven points of the law. I'll teach you that Desirebefore the Council Fire to-night. To be a Fire-Maker you have to servefaithfully as a Wood-Gatherer, and you have to do a lot of things thataren't very easy--though they're not very hard, either. "

"And you talked about awarding honors. What are they?"

"Have you seen the necklaces the girls wear?"

"Oh, yes! They're beautiful. They look like the ones I've seen inpictures of Indians. But I never thought they were so pretty before, because I've only seen pictures, and they didn't show the differentcolors of the beads. "

"That's just it, Bessie. Those beads are given for honors, and when agirl has enough of them they make the necklaces. They're awarded forall sorts of things--for knowing them, and for doing them, too. Andyou'll learn to tell by the colors of the beads just what sort of honorsthey are--why the girl who wears them got them, and what she did to earnthem. "

"I'm going to work awfully hard to get honors, " said Zara, impulsively. "Then, when I can wear the beads, everyone will know about it, and abouthow I worked to get them. Won't they, Miss Eleanor?"

"Yes, but you mustn't think about it just that way, Zara. You won't, either, when you've earned them. You'll know then that the pleasure ofworking for the honors is much greater than being able to wear thebeads. "

"I know why--because it means something!"

"That's just it, Bessie. I can see that you're going to be just the sortof girl I want in my Camp Fire. Anyone who had the money--and they don'tcost much--could buy the beads and string them together. But it's only aCamp Fire Girl, who's worked for honors herself, who knows what itreally means, and sees that the beads are just the symbol of somethingmuch better. "

"Aren't there Torch-Bearers, too, Miss Eleanor?"

"Yes. That's the highest rank of all. We haven't any Torch-Bearer in ourCamp Fire yet, but we will have soon, because when you girls join usthere'll be nineteen girls, and there ought to be a Torch-Bearer. "

"She'd help you, wouldn't she, Miss Eleanor?"

"Yes, she'd act as Guardian if I were away, and she'd be my assistant. This is her desire, you know, 'That light which has been given to me, Idesire to pass undimmed to others. '"

"I'm going to try to be a Torch-Bearer whenever I can, " said Zara. 

"There's no reason why you shouldn't be, Zara. That ought to be theambition of every Camp Fire Girl--to be able, sometime, to help othersto get as much good from the Camp Fire as she has herself. "

While they talked it had been growing darker. And now Miss Mercer calledto the girls. 

"We're going to be driven over to the big camp, girls, " she said. "Ithink we've had quite enough tramping for one day. I don't want you tobe so tired that you won't enjoy the Council Fire to-night. "

There was a chorus of laughter at that, as if the idea that they couldever be too tired to enjoy a Council Fire was a great joke--as, indeed, it was. 

But, just the same, the idea of a ride wasn't a bit unwelcome. Thetroubles of Bessie and Zara had caused a sudden change in the plans ofthe Camp Fire, as Miss Mercer had made them originally, and they had hada long and strenuous day. So they greeted the big farm wagons thatpresently rolled up with a chorus of laughs and cheers, and the driversblinked with astonishment as they heard the Wohelo cheer ring out. 

There were two of the wagons, so that there was room for all of themwithout crowding. Bessie and Zara rode in the first one, close toWanaka, who had, of course, taken them under her wing. 

"You stay close by me, " she said to them. "I want you to meet Mrs. Chester as soon as we get to the camp. "

"Where is it?"

"That's the surprise I told the girls I had for them this morning. Afriend of Mrs. Chester, who has a beautiful place near here, has let ususe it for a camping ground. It's the most wonderful place you ever saw. There are deer, quite tame, and all sorts of lovely things. But you'llsee more of that in the morning, of course. We've all got to be ever socareful, though, not to frighten the deer or to hurt anything about theplace. It's very good of General Seeley to let us be there at all, andwe must show him that we are grateful. For the girls who couldn't getfar away from the city it's been particularly splendid, because theycouldn't possibly have such a good time anywhere else that's near by. "

"Oh!" cried Bessie, a moment later, as the wagons turned from the roadinto a lane that was flanked on both sides by great trees. "I never sawa place so pretty!"

Wide lawns stretched all around them. But in the distance a pink glow, among a grove of trees, marked the real home of the Camp Fire. 

CHAPTER XII

A NEW SUSPICION

"I think the fire is more beautiful than anything else, almost, " saidthe Guardian, as she looked at it and pointed it out to Bessie and Zara. "It means so much. "

"It looks like a welcome, Wanaka. "

"That's just what it is--a real, hearty welcome. It shows us that oursisters of the fire are there waiting for us, ready to make uscomfortable after the trouble of the day. Around the fire we can forgetall the bad things that have happened, and think only of the good. "

"It's easy to do that now. I've been frightened since Jake locked Zaraup in the woodshed, awfully frightened. And I've been unhappy, too. ButI've been happier in these last two days than I ever was before. "

"That's the right spirit, Bessie. Make your misfortunes work out sothat you think only of the good they bring. That's the way to be happy, always. You know, it's an old, old saying that every cloud has a silverlining, but it's just as true as it's old, too. People laugh at thoseold proverbs sometimes, --people who think they know more than anyoneelse ever did--but in the end they usually admit that they don't reallyknow much more about life and happiness than the people who discoveredthose great truths first, or spoke about them first, even if someoneelse had discovered them. "

"I've been happy, too, " said Zara, but there was a break in her voice. "If I only knew that my father was all right, then I wouldn't be able tobe anything but happy, now that I know Farmer Weeks can't take me withhim. "

"You must try not to worry about your father, Zara. I'm sure that allhis troubles will be mended soon, just like yours. Don't you feel thatsomeone has been looking after you in all your troubles?"

"Oh, yes! I never, never would have been able to get away from FarmerWeeks except for that--"

"Well, just try to think that He will look after your father, too, Zara. If he has done nothing wrong he can't be punished, you may be sure ofthat. This isn't Russia, or one of those old countries where people canbe sent to prison without having done anything to deserve it, justbecause other people with more money or more power don't like them. Welive in a free country. Be sure that all will turn out right in theend. "

"I feel cramped, Miss Eleanor. May I get out and run along by the horsesfor a little while?"

"Yes, indeed, Zara. "

And Wanaka stopped the wagon, so that she could get out. 

"Do you want to go, too, Bessie?"

"I think I'd rather ride, Miss Eleanor. I'm awfully tired. "

"You shall, then. I want you to do whatever you like to-night. You'vecertainly done enough to-day to earn the right to rest. "

They rode along in silence for a few minutes, while the glow of thegreat welcoming fire grew brighter. 

"Miss Eleanor?"

"Yes, Bessie?"

"Don't you think it's very strange that Farmer Weeks should take so muchtrouble to try to get hold of Zara?"

"I do, indeed, Bessie. I've been puzzling about that. "

"I believe he knows something about her and her father that no one elseknows, something that even Zara doesn't know about, I mean. You know, heand Zara's father were very friendly at first--or, at least, they usedto see one another a good deal. "

"Yes? Bessie, what sort of man is Zara's father? You have seen a gooddeal of him, haven't you?"

"I used to go to see Zara sometimes, when I was able to get away. Andunless he was away on one of his trips he was always around, but henever said much. "

"He could speak English, couldn't he?"

"Yes, but not a bit well. And when I first went there he was awfullyfunny. He seemed to be quite angry because I was there, and as soon as Icame, he rushed into one of the rooms, and put a lot of things away, andcovered them so I couldn't see them. But Zara talked to him in their ownlanguage, and then he was very nice, and he gave me a penny. I didn'twant it, but he made me take it and Zara said I ought to have it, too. "

"It looks as if he had had something to hide, Bessie. But then a manmight easily want to keep people from finding out all about his businesswithout there being anything wrong. "

"If you'd seen him, Miss Eleanor, I'm sure you wouldn't think he'd doanything wrong. He had the nicest face, and his eyes were kind. Andafter that, sometimes, I'd go there when Zara was out, and he was alwaysjust as nice and kind as he could be. He used to get me to talk to him, too, so that he could learn to speak English. "

"Well, there's something very strange and mysterious about it all. Youfound this Mr. Weeks there the night he was taken away, didn't you?"

"Yes. "

"That looks as if he had something to do with it. I don't know--butwe'll find out the truth some time, Bessie. "

"I hope it will be soon. And, Miss Eleanor, I've been waiting a longtime to find out about myself, too. Sometimes I think I'm worse off thanZara, because I don't know where my father and mother are, or even whatbecame of them. "

The Guardian started. 

"Poor Bessie!" she said. "But we'll have to try to find out for you. There are ways of doing that that the Hoovers would never think of. AndI'm sure there'll be some explanation. They'd never just go away andleave you, without trying to find out if you were well and look afteryou. "

"Not if they could help it, Miss Eleanor. " Bessie's eyes filled withtears. "But perhaps they couldn't. Perhaps they are--dead. "

"We must try to be cheerful, Bessie. After all, you know, they say nonews is good news, and when you don't positively know that somethingdreadful has happened, you can always go on hoping. "

"Oh, I do, Miss Eleanor! Sometimes I've felt so bad that if I hadn'tbeen able to hope, I don't know what I'd have done. And Jake Hoover, heused to laugh at me, and say that I'd never see them again. He said theywere just bad people, glad to get rid of me, but I never believed that. "

"That's right, Bessie. You keep on hoping, and we'll do all we can tomake your hopes true. Hope is a wonderful thing for people who are introuble. They can always hope that things will be better, and if theyonly hope hard enough, they will come to believe it. And once youbelieve a thing, it's half true, especially when it's a question ofdoing something. "

"How do you mean?"

"Why, I'll try to explain. When Mrs. Chester first wanted me to takecharge of a Camp Fire, I thought I was just a silly, stupid, uselessgirl. But she said she knew I wasn't, and that I could make myselfuseful. "

"You certainly have. "

"I'm trying, Bessie, all the time. Well, she told me to wish that Imight succeed. And I did. And then I began to hope for it and to want itso much that gradually I believed I could. And as soon as I believed itmyself, why, it began to come. "

"You wanted to so much--that's why, I suppose. "

"Yes. You see, when you believe you can do a thing, you don't getdiscouraged when you fail at first. It's when you're doubtful and thinkyou can't do a thing at all, that it's hardest. Then when anything goeswrong, it's just what you expected, and it makes you surer than everthat you're going to fail. "

"Oh, I see that! I understand now, I think. "

"Remember that, Bessie. It's done me more good, knowing that, thanalmost anything else I can think of. When you start to do a thing, nomatter how hard it is, be hopeful and confident. Then the set-backswon't bother you, because you'll know that it's just because you'vechosen the wrong way, and you go back and start again, looking for theright way. "

"Oh, look!" said Bessie, suddenly. "Isn't it growing black? Do you seethat big cloud? And I'm sure I felt drops of rain just then. "

"I believe it is going to rain. That's too bad. It will spoil the greatCouncil Fire. "

"Won't they have it if it rains?"

"I'm not sure whether there's a big enough place inside or not. But, even if there is, it's much better fun to have it out of doors--a greatbig fire always seems more cheerful if it's under the trees, so that thegreat shadows can dance about. And the singing sounds so much better inthe open air, too. Oh, I do hope this won't be a real storm!"

But that hope was doomed to disappointment. The rain came down slowly atfirst, and in great drops, but as the wagons neared the fire and gotunder the shelter of the trees, the wind rose, and soon the rain waspouring down in great sheets, with flashes of lightning now and then. Asthey climbed out by the fire it hissed and spluttered as the rain fellinto it. No girls were in sight. 

"They must all have gone in to get out of the rain, or else they'd beout here to welcome us, " said the Guardian. "Oh, there's Mrs. Chester! Iknew she wouldn't let the rain keep her!"

And Wanaka ran forward to greet a sweet-faced woman whose hair wasslightly tinged with grey, but whose face was as rosy and as smiling asthat of a young girl. Bessie and Zara followed Eleanor shyly, but Mrs. Chester put them at their ease in a moment. 

"I've heard all about you, " she said. "And I'm not going to start in bytelling you I'm sorry for you, either, because I'm not!"

Had it not been for the laugh that was in her eyes, and her smile, thewords might have seemed unkind. 

"I don't believe in being sorry for what's past, " the Chief Guardianexplained at once. "If people are brave and good, trouble only helpsthem. And it's the future we must think about, always. That is in yourown hands now, and I'm sure you're going to deserve to be happy--and ifyou do, you can't help finding happiness. That's what I mean. "

The two girls liked her at once. There was something so motherly, sokind and wholesome about Mrs. Chester, that they felt as if they hadknown her a long time. 

"I don't know about the Council Fire to-night, Eleanor, " she said, looking doubtfully at the rain. "It's too damp, I'm afraid, to have itoutdoors, and you know that there are so many times when we have to holdthe ceremonial fires indoors, that I hate to do it when, by waiting aday, we can have it in this beautiful place. "

"Yes, that's so, " said Eleanor. "It's almost sure to be clear to-morrow. And in winter, when it gets cold, we can't even hope to be outdoors verymuch, except for skating and snowshoeing. Do you know, girls, that inwinter we sometimes use three candles instead of a real fire?"

"Yes, " said Mrs. Chester. "Of course, after all, it's the meaning of thefire, and not just the fire itself that counts. But I think it's betterto have both when we can. So I'm afraid you'll have to wait untilto-morrow night for your first Council Fire, girls. "

Eleanor looked at them. Then she laughed. 

"Really, it's a good thing, after all, " she said. "They're so tired thatthey can hardly keep their eyes open now, Mrs. Chester. I hope there'sgoing to be a good, hot supper. "

"There certainly is, my dear! And your girls won't have to cook it, either. Just for to-night you're to be guests of honor. And the newCamp Fire--the Snug Harbor camp, you know--begged me so hard to beallowed to cook the meal and serve it, that I agreed. Julia Kent hasdone wonders with those girls. You'd think they'd been cooking andworking all their lives, instead of it having been just the other way'round. And they simply worship her. Well, there are your tents overthere. You'll hear the call to supper in a few minutes. "

She turned and left them, and Eleanor led the way to the tents she hadpointed out. 

"I'm so delighted to hear about the Snug Harbor girls, " she told Bessieand Zara. "You know we've wondered how that was going to turn out. Thereare about a dozen of them, and they're all girls whose parents are rich. They go to Europe, and have motor cars, and lovely clothes, andservants--two or three of them have their own maids, and they've nevereven learned to keep their own rooms neat. "

"But if they're going to cook our supper--"

"That's just it, Bessie. That's what the Camp Fire has done for them. It has taught them that instead of being proud of never having to doanything for themselves, they ought to be ashamed of not knowing how. And before the summer's over I believe they'll be the best of all theCamp Fires in the whole city. "

Supper, in spite of the storm that raged outside, was a jolly, happymeal. The girls were tired, but they brightened as the meal was served, and the few mistakes of the amateur waitresses only made everyone laugh. 

Taps, the signal for bedtime, sounded early. All the girls, from thedifferent Camp Fires, were together for a moment. 

"We'll have the Council Fire to-morrow night, " said Mrs. Chester. "Andthe longer you sleep to-night, the readier you'll be to-morrow for allthe things we have to do. Good-night!"

And then, after all the girls together had sung the beautiful "Lay me tosleep in sheltering flame, " silence rested on the camp. 

Bessie slept like a log. But in the morning she awoke while everyoneelse was still asleep. In the east the sky was just turning pink, withthe first signs of the coming day. The sky was a deep, beautiful blue, and in the west, where it was still dark, the last stars were stilltwinkling. Bessie sighed with the beauty of everything, and the sense ofcomfort and peace that she enjoyed. Then she tried to go to sleep again, but she could not. She had too many things to think about. Zara, disturbed by her movements, woke up too, and looked at her sleepily. 

"You remember, " said Bessie, "that Wanaka told us last night that in afield not far away there were loads and loads of wild strawberries thatwe could pick? I think I'll get dressed and see if I can't get enoughfor breakfast, as a surprise. "

"Shall I come with you?" asked Zara. 

"No, " said Bessie, laughing. "You go to sleep again--you're only halfawake now!"

She had no trouble in finding the strawberries, although, just becauseit was so beautiful, she walked around the great estate for quite awhile first. It was a wonderful place. Parts of it were beautifullycared for, with smooth, well clipped lawns, and a few old trees; partswere left just as nature had meant them to be, and to Bessie they seemedeven more beautiful. And still other acres were turned into farm lands, where there were all sorts of growing crops. 

A few gardeners were about, and they smiled at Bessie as they saw her. She saw some of the deer that Eleanor had spoken of, too, who were sotame that they let her come as close as she liked. But she spent littletime in looking at them, and when she found the field where the berriesgrew she had soon picked a great apronful of them. When she returnedeveryone was up, and she was greeted with cries of joy when the girlssaw her burden. 

"They'll make our breakfast ever so much nicer, " said Eleanor. "It wasgood of you to think of them. "

Not until after breakfast did they see Mrs. Chester--not, indeed, untilall the dishes had been washed and put away. And then she approachedwith a grave face, and called the Guardian aside. They talked togetherearnestly for a few minutes, and Eleanor's face grew as serious as theChief Guardian's. Bessie saw that they looked at her more than once asthey spoke, and that Eleanor shook her head repeatedly. 

"I wonder what can be wrong, Zara, " she said. "Do you suppose thatFarmer Weeks has been making trouble for us again?"

"Oh, I hope not! Do you think it's about us they're talking?"

"I'm afraid so. See, they're calling me. We'll soon know. "

Bessie did indeed, soon know what had happened. 

"Bessie, " said Mrs. Chester, "did you go anywhere else this morning whenyou went for berries?"

"I just walked about the place, Mrs. Chester, and looked around. That'sall. "

"But you were quite alone?"

"Yes, quite alone. I only saw a few men who were working, cutting thegrass, and trimming hedges. "

"Oh, I'm sorry! Bessie, over there in the woods there's a place that'sfenced off, where General Seeley keeps a lot of pheasants. And some timesince last night someone has been in there and frightened the motherbirds and taken a lot of the eggs. Some of them were broken--and it wasnot an animal. "

Bessie looked frightened and concerned. 

"Oh, what a shame! But, Mrs. Chester, you don't think I did it?"

CHAPTER XIII

A TANGLED WEB

Bessie's eyes were full of fear and dismay as she looked at Mrs. Chesterand Eleanor. At first she hadn't thought it even possible that theycould think she had done anything so cruel as to frighten the birds andsteal their eggs, but there was a grave look on their faces thatterrified her. 

"No, Bessie, " said Mrs. Chester, "I don't believe you did--certainly, Idon't want to believe anything of the sort. "

"I _know_ you didn't do it, Bessie!" cried Eleanor Mercer. 

"But General Seeley is very indignant about it, Bessie, " Mrs. Chesterwent on to say. "And some of the men told him that one of the girls fromthe camp was around very early this morning, before anyone else was up, walking about, and looking at things. So he seemed to think right awaythat she must have done it. And he sent for me and asked me if I couldfind out which of you girls had been out. "

"Bessie went out openly, and she came back when we were all up, " saidEleanor, stoutly. "If she'd been doing anything wrong, Mrs. Chester, shewould have tried to get here without being seen, wouldn't she?"

"I know, Eleanor, I know, " said Mrs. Chester, kindly. "You think shecouldn't have had anything to do with it--and so do I, really. But forBessie's own sake we want to clear it up, don't we?"

Bessie stood her ground bravely, and kept back the tears, although ithurt her more to have these friends who had been so good to her botheredabout her than it would had almost anything happened to her. 

"Oh, I wish I'd never seen you, Miss Eleanor!" she cried. "I've donenothing but make trouble for you ever since you found us. I'm so sorry!Zara wanted to come with me this morning, and if I'd let her, she couldhave told you that I didn't even see the birds. "

"It'll all come out right, Bessie, " said Mrs. Chester. "I thoughtperhaps you might have done it by accident, but if you weren't therewe'll find out who really did do it, never fear. Now, you had bettercome with me. General Seeley asked me to bring any of the girls who hadbeen out this morning with me when I went to see him. He will want totalk to you himself, I think. "

So Bessie, tears in her eyes, which she tried bravely to keep back, hadto go up to the big house that they could see through the trees. It wasa big, rambling house, built of grey stone, with many windows, and allabout it were beds of flowers. Bessie had never seen a house that waseven half so fine. 

"General Seeley is very particular about his birds, and all the animalson the place, " explained Mrs. Chester, as they made their way toward thehouse. "Some men keep pheasants just so that they can shoot them in theautumn, and they call that sport. But General Seeley doesn't allow that. He's a kind and gentle man, although he's a soldier. "

"Has he ever been in a war, Mrs. Chester?"

"Yes. He's a real patriot, and when his country needed him he went outto fight, like many other brave and gentle men. But, like most men whoare really brave, he hates to see anyone or even any animal, hurt. Soldiers aren't rough and brutal just because they sometimes have to goto war and fight. They know so much about how horrible war is thatthey're really the best friends of peace. "

"I never knew that. I thought they liked to fight. "

"No, it's just the other way round. When you hear men talk about howfine war is, and how they hope this country will have one some timesoon, you can make up your mind that they are boasters and bullies, andthat if a war really came they'd stay home and let someone else do thefighting. It isn't the people who talk the most and brag the loudest whostep to the front when there's something really hard to be done. Theyleave that to the quiet people. "

Then they walked along in silence. The place seemed even more beautifulnow, but Bessie was too upset to appreciate its loveliness. She wonderedif General Seeley would believe her, or if he would be more like MawHoover than Mrs. Chester. 

"We'll find him on the porch in the back of the house, I think, Bessie. If he's there we can find him without going inside and bothering theservants. So we'll go around and see. "

General Seeley was a small man, with white beard and moustache, and ather first look at him Bessie thought he looked very fierce indeed, andevery inch a soldier, though there were so few inches. He had sharp blueeyes that were keen and piercing, and after he had risen and bowed toMrs. Chester, which he did as soon as he saw her, he looked sharply atBessie--so sharply that she was sure at once that he had judged heralready, and was very angry at her. 

"Well, well, so you've found the poacher and brought her with you, eh?"he said. "Sit down, ma'am, sit down, while I talk to her!"

And now Bessie saw that there was really a twinkle in the keen eyes, andthat he wasn't as angry as he looked. 

"What's her name? Bessie, eh? Bessie King? Well, sit down, Bessie, andwe'll have a talk. No use standing up--none at all! Might as well becomfortable!"

"Thank you, sir, " said Bessie, and sat down. She was still nervous, buther fright was lessened. He was much more kindly than she had expectedhim to be, somehow. 

"Now, let's find out all about this, Bessie. Didn't you know yououghtn't to frighten the birds? Or didn't you think they'd befrightened--eh, what?"

Bessie didn't understand, fully, at first. 

"But I didn't frighten them, sir, " she said. 

"They thought so. Stupid birds, eh, to think they were frightened whenthey weren't? But you remember they didn't know any better. "

He laughed merrily at his own joke, and glanced at Mrs. Chester, as ifhe expected her to laugh, too, and to be amused, but her eyes weretroubled, and she was very thoughtful. 

"Come, come, " he went on. "It's not so very terrible, after all! We'veall of us done things we were sorry for--eh, Mrs. Chester? I'll wagerthat even you have--and I know very well that there are lots of things Ican think of that I did just because I didn't think there was any harmin them. "

"Some people wouldn't admit that, General Seeley, but it's very true, "said Mrs. Chester. "I know it is in my case. "

"Well, well, can't you talk, Bessie? Aren't you going to tell me you'resorry and that you won't do it again?"

"I'm sorry the birds were frightened, " said Bessie, bravely. "But Ican't say that I won't do it again--"

"What's that? What's that? Bless me, what's the use of saying you'resorry if you mean to do it the next time you get a chance?"

The general was flushed as he spoke, and his eyes held the same angrylook they had worn at first. Mrs. Chester sighed and decided that it wastime for her to speak. 

"I don't think that was just what Bessie meant, General. I think youdidn't understand her--"

"Well, well, perhaps not! What do you mean, Bessie?"

"I mean I can't promise not to do it again, sir, because I didn't do itat all, in the first place. Really, I didn't--"

"Oh, nonsense!" said the general, testily. "I'm ready to overlookit--don't you understand that? All I want you to do is to confess, andto say you're sorry. Nothing's going to happen to you!"

"I can't confess when I didn't do it, " pleaded Bessie. "And if I haddone it, I'd say so, whether anything was going to happen to me or not. That wouldn't make any difference. "

General Seeley jumped to his feet. 

"Oh, come, come! That's nonsense!" he said. "Who else could have doneit, eh? Answer me that! I've said I'd forgive you--"

"But, General, " protested Mrs. Chester, "if Bessie didn't do it, she'dbe telling you an untruth if she said she had--and you wouldn't have herdo that?"

"I'm a just man, Mrs. Chester, but I know what's what. She must havedone it--she was around the place. And I know that none of my men didit. They know better! No one but the game-keepers are allowed to go intothe preserve, and they all know they'd be dismissed at once if theydisobeyed my rules about that. I'm strict--very strict! I insist uponobedience of orders and truthfulness--learned the need of them when Iwas in the army. Don't you think I can tell what's going on here, ma'am?"

"I think you're mistaken, General--that's all. I'm sure Bessie istelling the truth. Why shouldn't she? You've told her that she needn'tbe afraid to confess if she did frighten the birds, and that was verykind and generous of you. So, if she had, she wouldn't have anything tolose by saying so, and promising not to be careless that way again. "

"What do you know about her, ma'am? Isn't it true that she's one of thetwo girls you told me about last night--that Miss Mercer had found?If--"

"I know she's a brave, honest girl, General. She's proved that already. "

"I disagree with you, Mrs. Chester, " said the general, stiffly. "You'rea lady, and you naturally think well of everyone. I've learned by bitterexperience that we can't always do that. I've trusted men, and had themgo wrong, despite that. If she was one of the girls like the others, that you'd always known about, it would be different. Then I'd be happyto take your word for it. But when I think you aren't in any betterposition to judge than I am, I've got to use my own judgment. "

"I'm sorry, General, " said Mrs. Chester. "I can't tell you how sorry Iam--but I'm sure you're wrong. "

"She can't stay here, that's certain, " said the general, testily. "Ican't have a girl about the place who frightens my birds and thentells--lies--"

Bessie cried out sharply at that word. 

"Oh--oh!" she said. "Really, I've told the truth--I have, indeed! If Isaid what you want me to say, than I'd be lying--but I'm not. "

"Silence, please!" said General Seeley, sternly. "I'm talking with Mrs. Chester now, young woman. You've had your chance--and you wouldn't takeit. Now I'm done with you!"

"What do you mean, General?" asked Mrs. Chester, looking very grave. 

"You'll have to send her away--where she came from, Mrs. Chester. Youand the girls you can vouch for are welcome, but I can't have herhere. "

"I can't do that, General, " said Mrs. Chester, not angrily, but gravely, and looking him straight in the eyes. 

"But you must! I won't let her stay here! And these are my grounds, aren't they?"

"Certainly! But if Bessie goes, we all go with her. It's not our way todesert those we've once befriended and taken in, General. "

"That is for you to decide, ma'am, " he said, stiffly. He got up andbowed to her. "I'm sorry that this should cause a quarrel--"

"It hasn't, " said Mrs. Chester, smiling. "It takes two to make aquarrel, and I simply won't quarrel with you, General. I know you'll besorry for what you've said when you think it over. Come, Bessie!"

Bessie, quite stunned by the trouble that had come upon them so suddenlyout of a clear sky, couldn't speak for a minute. 

"Oh, " she said, then, "you don't mean that all the girls will have toleave this lovely place because of me?"

"Not because of you, but because of a mistake that's not your fault, Bessie. You mustn't worry about it. Just leave it to me. I'm sure you'retelling the truth, and I'm going to stick by you. "

CHAPTER XIV

THE TRUTH AT LAST

But Bessie, despite Mrs. Chester's kind words, was terribly downcast. 

"Really, Mrs. Chester, " she said miserably, "it's awfully unfair to makeall the other girls suffer on account of me. "

"You mustn't look at it that way, Bessie. You couldn't tell a lie, youknow, even to prevent this trouble. "

"No, but I'm sure he thinks I did that. He's not an unkind man, and hereally doesn't want to make me unhappy, and drive you all away, I know. Mrs. Chester, won't you send me away?"

"Nonsense, Bessie! If you haven't done anything wrong, why shouldn't westand by you? Even if you had, we'd do that, and we ought to do it allthe more when you're in the right, and unjustly suspected. Don't youworry about it a bit! Everything will be all right. "

"But I really think you ought to let me go. I'm just a trouble maker--Imake trouble for everyone! If it hadn't been for me, Jake Hoover wouldnever have burnt his father's barn--don't you know that?"

"That isn't so, Bessie. If you hadn't been there, something else wouldhave happened. And it's the same way here. You haven't anything to dowith all this trouble here. It would have come just the same if youhadn't arrived at all, I'm sure of that. And then one of the girls wouldhave been accused, and everything would have happened just the same. "

"Oh, I'm afraid not!"

"But I'm sure of it, Bessie, and I really know better than you. Youmustn't take it so hard. No one is going to blame you. Rest easy aboutthat. I'll see to it that they all understand just how it is. "

"I wish I could believe that!"

Mrs. Chester told Eleanor what General Seeley had said as soon as theyreturned to the camp, and Eleanor, after a moment, just laughed. 

"Well, it can't be helped, " she said. "If he wants to act that way, wecan't stop him, can we? And I'm so glad that you're going to stick bypoor Bessie. I know she feels as bad as she can feel about it--and it'sso fine for her to know that she really has some friends who will trusther and believe her at last. She's never had them before. "

"She has them now, Eleanor. And it's because you're so fond of heralready that I'm so sure she's telling the truth. I think I'd trust her, anyhow, but, even if I'd never seen her, I'd take your word. "

"Will you tell all the girls why we're going?"

"I think not--just at first, anyhow. We'll just say that we're going tomove on. I'm pretty sure that the people over at Pine Bridge will havesome place where we can make camp, and that we can have our Council Fireto-night just the same. It won't be as nice as it is here, of course, but we'll make it do, somehow. "

So Mrs. Chester went around to the different Guardians of the CampFires, and told them of the change in the plans. At once the order tostrike the tents and pack was given, and then Mrs. Chester went to makearrangements for carrying the baggage over to Pine Bridge and forgetting a camping place there. 

"I'll get back as soon as I can, Eleanor, " she said, "but I may bedelayed in finding a camping place. If I am, I'll send the wagonsover--I don't want to use General Seeley's, while he's angry at us. Andyou can take charge and see that everything goes as it should. You'lljust take my place. "

"No one can do that, Mrs. Chester, but I'll do my best. "

Bessie, forlorn and unhappy, helped in the work of packing, and longedfor someone to talk to. She didn't want to tell Zara, who had troublesenough of her own to worry her, and Eleanor, of course, was too busy, with all the work of seeing that everything was done properly. She hadto keep a watchful eye on the preparations of the other Camp Fires aswell as of her own. And then, suddenly, Bessie got a new idea. 

"All this trouble is for me, " she said. "Suppose I weren't here--supposeI just went away? Then they could all stay. "

The more she thought of that, the more the idea grew upon her. 

"I will do that--I will!" she said to herself, with suddendetermination. "I'm just like a sign of bad luck--I make trouble foreveryone who's good to me. Like Paw Hoover! He was always good--and thefire hurt him more than it did anyone else, though it was Maw Hoover andJake who made all my trouble. I won't stay here and let them suffer forme any longer. "

And, very quietly, since she wanted no one to know what she was doing, Bessie went into the tent, which had not yet been taken down, andchanged from the blouse and skirt, which had been lent to her, into theold dress she had worn when she had jumped into the water to rescueMinnehaha. 

Then, moving as silently and as cautiously as she could, Bessie slippedinto the woods behind the camp. She dared not go the other way, whichwas the direct route to the main road outside of General Seeley'sestate, because she knew that if any of the girls, or one of theGuardians saw her, she would be stopped. She didn't know the way by thedirection she had to take, but she was sure that she could find it, andshe wasn't afraid. Her one idea was to get away and save trouble for theothers. 

Of course, if Bessie had stopped to think, she would have known that itwas wrong to do what she planned. But her aim was unselfish, and shedidn't think of the grief and anxiety that would follow herdisappearance. She was sensitive, in any case, and General Seeley'sstern manner, although he had not really meant to be unkind, had upsether dreadfully. 

To her surprise, the woods that she followed grew very thick. And shewas still more surprised, presently, to come upon a wire fence. In suchwoods, it seemed very strange to her. Then, as she saw a bird with along, brilliantly colored tail strutting around on the other side of thefence, she suddenly understood. This must be the place where theprecious pheasants she was supposed to have frightened were kept. Andshe hadn't even known where they were!

Bessie wondered, as she looked at the beautiful bird, how anyone couldhave the heart to frighten it, or any like it. 

"I don't blame General Seeley a bit for being angry if he really thoughtI had done that, " she said to herself. "And he did, of course. Theydon't know anything about me, really. He was quite right. "

Then she remembered, too, what he had said about the game-keepers. Probably, after what had happened, they would be more careful than ever, and Bessie decided that she had better move along as fast as she could, lest someone find her and think she was trying to get at the birdsagain. 

But, anxious as she was to get away from the dangerous neighborhood, shefound that, to move at all, she had to stick close to the fence, sincethe going beyond it was too rough for her. Then, too, as she went along, she heard strange noises--as if someone was moving in the woods nearher, and trying not to make a noise. That frightened and puzzled her, soshe moved very quietly herself, anxious to find out who it was. A wildthought came to her, too--perhaps it was the real poacher, for whom shehad been mistaken, that she heard!

Presently the fence turned out, and she had to circle around, followingit, to keep to the straight path. And, as the fence turned in again, shegave a sudden gasping little cry, that she had the greatest difficultyin choking down, lest it betray her at once. 

For she saw a dark figure against the green background, bending over, and plucking at something that lay on the ground. 

"It is! It really is--the poacher!" she whispered to herself. 

She longed to know what to do. There was no way of telling whether therewas anyone about. If she lifted her voice and called for help, it mightbring a game-keeper quickly--and it might simply give the poacher thealarm, and enable him to escape, leaving the evidence of the crime to beturned against her. And this time no one, not even Mrs. Chester, wouldbelieve in her innocence. 

Slowly Bessie crept toward the crouching figure. At least she would tryto see his face, so that she would recognize him again, if she was luckyenough to see him. For Bessie was determined that some time, no matterhow far in the future, she would clear herself, and make General Seeleyadmit that he had wronged her. 

And then, when she was scarcely ten feet from him, she stepped on abranch that crackled under her feet, and the poacher turned and facedher, springing to his feet. Bessie screamed as she saw his face, for itwas her old enemy--Jake Hoover!

For a moment he was far more frightened than she. He stared at herstupidly. Then he recognized her, and his face showed his evil triumph. 

"Ah, here, are yer?" he cried, and sprang toward her, his hands full ofthe feathers he had plucked from the tail of the pheasant he had snared. 

That move was Jake's fatal mistake. Had he run at once, he might havebeen able to escape. But now, Bessie, brave as ever, sprang to meet him. He was far stronger than she, but she had seen help approaching--a manin velveteens, and for just a moment after Jake, too, had seen thegame-keeper, Bessie was able to keep him from running. She clung to hisarms and legs, and though Jake struck at her, she would not let go. Andthen, just in time, the game-keeper's heavy hand fell on Jake'sshoulder. 

"So you're the poacher, my lad?" he said. "Well I've caught you thistime, dead to rights. "

Squirm and wriggle as he would, Jake couldn't escape now. He was trappedat last, and for once Bessie saw that he was going to reap the reward ofhis evil doing. 

The game-keeper lifted a whistle to his lips, and blew a loud, longblast upon it. In a moment the wood filled with the noise of menapproaching, and, to Bessie's delight, she saw General Seeley amongthem. 

"What? At it again?" he said, angrily, as he saw Bessie. Jake was hiddenby the game-keeper, and General Seeley thought at first that it wasBessie who had fallen to the trap he had set. Bessie said nothing--shecouldn't. 

"No, General. It wasn't the girl, after all, " said the game-keeper. "Never did seem to me as if it could be, anyhow. Here's the lad that didit all--and I caught him in the act. The feathers are all over himstill. "

"It wasn't me! She did it! I saw her, and I took the feathers from her, "wailed Jake, anxious, as ever, to escape himself, no matter how manylies he had to tell, or who had to suffer for his sins. But thegame-keeper only laughed roughly. 

"That won't do you no good, my boy. You'd better own up and take yourmedicine. Here, see this, General. "

He plunged his hands into Jake's pockets, and produced the wire andother materials Jake had used in making his snare. 

"I guess that's pretty good evidence, ain't it, sir?"

"It is, indeed, " said the general, grimly. "Take him up to the house, Tyler. I'll attend to his case later. Go on, now. I want to talk to thisgirl. "

Then he turned to Bessie and took off his hat. 

"I was wrong and you were right this morning, " he said, pleasantly. "Iwant to apologize to you, Bessie. And I shall try to make up to you forhaving treated you so badly. How can I do that?"

"Oh, there's nothing to make up, General, " said Bessie, tearfully. "I'mso glad you know I didn't do that!"

"But what are you doing here--and in that dress?"

"I--I was going away--so that the others could stay. "

"I see--so that they wouldn't have to suffer because I was so brutallyunkind to you. Well, you come with me! Why didn't you wear the otherclothes, though? They're nicer than these. "

"They're not mine. These are all I have, of my own. "

"Is that so? Well, you shall have the best wardrobe money can buy, Bessie, just as soon as Mrs. Chester can get it for you. I'll make thatmy present to you--as a way of making up, partly, for the way I behavedto you. How will you like that?"

"That's awfully good of you, but you mustn't--really, you mustn't!"

"I guess I can do as I like with my own money, Bessie. And I'm going tobe one of your friends--one of your best friends, if you'll let me. Will you shake hands, to show that you don't bear any hard feelings?"

And Bessie, unable to speak, held out her hand. 

General Seeley wrung it--then he started, suddenly. 

"Here, here, what am I thinking of?" he said, briskly. "I must find Mrs. Chester and ask her to forgive me. Do you think she will do it, Bessie?Or haven't you known her long enough--"

"Why should she forgive you, sir? You just thought what anyone elsewould have thought. What I don't understand is why she was willing tobelieve me. She didn't know anything about me--"

"I'll tell you why, Bessie. It's because she knows human nature, and I, like the old fool I am, wouldn't acknowledge it! But I've learned mylesson--I'll never venture to disagree with her again. And I'm going tohunt her up and tell her so. "

So Bessie, as happy as she had been miserable a few minutes before, wentwith the general, while he looked for Mrs. Chester. She returned fromPine Bridge just as they reached the camp, and she listened to GeneralSeeley's apologies with smiling eyes. 

"I knew I was right, " was all she said. "And I'm more than glad that thereal culprit was found. But, my dear, you oughtn't to have tried toleave us that way. It wasn't your fault, and we should have gone, justthe same, and we would have had to look for you until we found you. Whenwe once make friends of anyone, we don't let them get away from us. Thatwouldn't be true to the spirit of the Camp Fire--not a bit of it!"

Then, while Bessie changed again into the clothes Ayu had lent her, Mrs. Chester gave the welcome order to unpack, and explained to the Guardiansthat Bessie was cleared, and they were going to stay in camp, and havethe Council Fire just as it had been planned. Everyone was delighted, Eleanor Mercer most of all, because she had had real faith in Bessie, and it was a triumph for her to know that her faith had not beenmisplaced. 

CHAPTER XV

THE COUNCIL FIRE

The girls of the Manasquan Camp Fire did little that day except to cooktheir meals and keep the camp in order. The order to unpack had come, fortunately, in time to save a lot of trouble, since very little hadbeen done toward preparing to move, and, when it was all over, Eleanorcalled the girls together, and told them just what had happened. 

"There is a fine lesson for all of us in that, " she said. "If Bessie hadbeen weak, she might very well have been tempted to say what GeneralSeeley wanted her to say. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong--andshe said so. But she was told that if she would confess she wouldn't bepunished, or even scolded, and still she would not do it, even when shefound that it meant trouble for her and for us. And, you see, she earnedthe reward of doing the right thing, for the truth came out. And itwill happen that way most of the time--ninety-nine times out of ahundred, I believe. "

"I should think you'd be perfectly furious at Jake Hoover, Bessie, " saidZara. "He makes trouble for you all the time. Here he got you blamed forsomething he'd done again, and nearly spoiled things just when they werebeginning to look better. "

"But he didn't know that, Zara. He did something wrong, but he couldn'thave known that I was going to be blamed for it, you know. "

"Aren't you angry at him at all?"

"Yes, for killing that beautiful bird with his horrid snare. But I'msorry for him, too. I think he didn't know any better. "

"What will happen to him, do you think, Bessie! Will he be sent toprison?"

"I don't believe so. General Seeley is a kind man, and I think he'll tryto make Jake understand how wrong it was to act so, and send him home. Icertainly hope so. "

"I don't see why. I should think you'd want him to be punished. He'sdone so many mean things without being found out that when he is caught, he ought to get what he deserves. "

"But it wouldn't be punishing just him, you see, Zara. It would be hardfor Paw Hoover, too, and you know how good he was to us. If it hadn'tbeen for him I don't believe we'd ever have got to Pine Bridge at all. "

"Yes, that's so. He was good to us, Bessie. I'd like to see him again, and tell him so. But I can't--not if Farmer Weeks can get me if I evergo back into that state. "

"There's another thing to think of, too, Zara, about Jake. He's morelikely to be found out now, when he does something wrong. "

"Oh, yes, that's true, isn't it? I hadn't thought of that. He won't beable to make Maw Hoover think you did everything now, when you're notthere, will he?"

"That's just what I mean. And maybe, when she finds that the things sheused to blame me for keep on happening just the same, though I'm notthere, she'll see that I never did do them at all. It looked pretty badfor me this morning, Zara, but you see it came out all right. And I'mbeginning to think now that other things will turn out right, too, justas Miss Eleanor's been saying they would. "

"Oh, I do hope so! There's Miss Eleanor coming now. "

"Well, girls, have you chosen your fire names yet?" asked the Guardian. "You'll have to be ready to tell us to-night at the big fire you know, when you get your rings. "

"Why, I hadn't thought about it, even. Had you, Zara?"

"Yes, I had. I think I'd like to be called by a name that would makepeople think of being happy and cheerful. Is there an Indian word thatwould do that?"

"Perhaps. But why don't you make up a new word for yourself, as we madeup Wo-he-lo? You could take the first letters of happy and cheerful, and call yourself Hachee. That sounds like an Indian word, though itreally isn't. And what for a symbol?"

"I think a chipmunk is the happiest, cheerfulest thing I know. "

"That's splendid! You can be Hachee, and your symbol shall be thechipmunk. You've done well, Zara. I don't think you'll ever want to burnyour name. "

"What is that? Burning one's name?" inquired Zara. 

"Sometimes a girl chooses a name and later she doesn't like it. Then, ata Council Fire, she writes that name, the one she wants to give up, on aslip of paper, and it's thrown into the fire. And after that she isnever called by it again. "

"Oh, I see. No, I like my new name and I'll want to keep that, I know. "

"I've always liked the name of Stella--that means a star, doesn'tit?--so that my name and my symbol could be the same, if I took that. "

"Yes, Bessie. That's a good choice, too. You shall be Stella, when weare using the ceremonial names. Well, that's settled, then. You mustlearn to repeat the Wood-Gatherer's desire to-night--and after that youwill get your rings, and then you will be real Camp Fire Girls, like therest of us. "

Then she left them, because there was much for her to do, and thatafternoon Bessie and Zara made very sure that they knew theWood-Gatherer's desire, and learned all that the other girls could tellthem about the law of the fire, and all the other things they wanted toknow. But they waited anxiously for it to be time to light the greatCouncil Fire. 

All afternoon the Wood-Gatherers worked, gathering the fagots for thefire, and arranging them neatly. They were built up so that there was agood space for a draught under the wood, in order that the fire, once itwas lighted, might burn clear and bright. A cloudless summer sky gavepromise of a beautiful starlit night, so that there was no danger of arepetition of the disappointment of the previous night--which, however, everyone had already forgotten. 

After supper, when it was quite dark, the space around the pile was leftempty. Then Mrs. Chester, in her ceremonial Indian robes, stood up inthe centre, near the fire, and one by one the different Camp Fires, ledby their Guardians, came in, singing slowly. 

As each girl passed before her, Mrs. Chester made the sign of the Fire, by raising her right hand slowly, in a sweeping gesture, after firstcrossing its fingers against those of the left hand. Each girl returnedthe sign and then passed to her place in the great circle about thefagots, where she sat down. 

When all the girls were seated, Mrs. Chester spoke. 

"The Manasquan Camp Fire has the honor of lighting our Council Fireto-night, " she said. "Ayu!"

And Ayu stepped forward. She had with her the simple tools that arerequired for making fire in the Indian fashion. It is not enough, assome people believe, to rub two sticks together, and Bessie and Zara, who had never seen this trick played before, watched her with greatinterest. Ayu had, first, a block of wood, not very thick, in which anotch had been cut. In this notch she rested a long, thin stick, and ontop of that was a small piece of wood, in which the stick or drillrested. And, last of all, she had a bow, with a leather thong, which wasslipped around the drill. 

When everything was ready Ayu, holding down the fire block with onefoot, held the socket of the drill with the left hand, while with theright she drew the bow rapidly back and forth. In less than a minutethere was a tiny spark. Then rapidly growing, flame appeared and amoment later, along the carefully prepared tinder, the fire ran to thekindling beneath the fagots. And then, as the flames rose and began tocurl about the fagots all the girls began to sing together the Camp FireGirl Ode to Fire:

 "Oh Fire! Long years ago when our fathers fought with great animals you were their protection. From the cruel cold of winter you saved them. When they needed food you changed the flesh of beasts into savory food for them. During all the ages your mysterious flame has been a symbol to them for Spirit. So to-night we light our fire in remembrance of the Great Spirit who gave you to us. "

Then each Guardian called the roll of her Camp Fire, and as each girl'sceremonial name was called she answered, "Kolah!"

"That means _friend_, " someone whispered to Bessie and Zara. 

"We are to receive two new members to-night, " said Mrs. Chester, then. "Wanaka, they come in your Camp Fire. Will you initiate them into theCamp Fire circle?"

Then she sat down, and Wanaka took her place in the centre. Bessie andZara understood that it was time for them to step forward, and theystood out in the dancing light of the fire, which was roaring up now, and casting its light into the shadows about the circle. All the girlsstood up. 

Bessie came first, and Wanaka turned to her. 

"Is it your desire to become a Camp Fire Girl and follow the law of theFire?"

And Bessie, who had been taught the form to be followed, answered:

"It is my desire to become a Camp Fire Girl and to obey the law of theCamp Fire, which is to Seek Beauty, Give Service, Pursue Knowledge, BeTrustworthy, Hold on to Health, Glorify Work, Be Happy. This law of theCamp Fire I will strive to follow. "

Then she held out her left hand, and Eleanor took it, saying:

"In the name of the Camp Fire Girls of America, I place on the littlefinger of your left hand this ring, with its design of seven fagots, symbolic of the seven points of the law of the Fire, which you haveexpressed your desire to follow, and of the three circles on eitherside, symbolic of the three watchwords of this organization--Work, Health, and Love. And--

 "As fagots are brought from the forest Firmly held by the sinews which bind them, So cleave to these others, your sisters, Whoever, whenever, you find them. 

 "Be strong as the fagots are sturdy; Be pure in your deepest desire; Be true to the truth that is in you; And--follow the law of the Fire. "

Then, as Bessie, or Stella, as, at the Council Fire she was to be knownthereafter, made her way back to her place, all the girls sang theWo-he-lo song by way of welcoming her as one of them. 

Then it was Zara's turn, and the same beautiful ceremony was repeatedfor her. 

"Now the Snug Harbor Camp Fire is going to entertain us with some newIndian dances they have learned, " said Mrs. Chester. "I am sure we willall enjoy that. "

And they did. No Indian girls ever danced with the grace and beauty thatthose young American girls put into their interpretation of theold-fashioned dances, which made all the other Camp Fires determine totry to learn them, too. And after that there was a talk from Mrs. Chester on the purpose of the organization. Then, finally, taps sounded, and the Council Fire was over. 

"So you really are Camp Fire Girls, " said Eleanor, to the two newmembers. "Soon we shall be back in the city and there I am sure thatmany things will happen to you. Some of them will be hard, but you willget through them all right. And remember we mean to help you, no matterwhat happens. Zara shall have her father back, and we will do all wecan, Bessie, to help you find your parents. Good-night!"

"Good-night!"

Every Child's Library

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Bound in boards, frontispiece in colors, cover and jacket in colors, size 6-3/4 x 9 inches. 

THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO. 

AKRON, OHIO

John Newbery Series

Early in the 18th century John Newbery was born in a little Berkshirevillage in England, and became a bookman in the old St. Paul'schurchyard. 

It was he who first believed children needed books of their own, and heset about to supply that need. Many of the old stories, quaint jinglesand nursery rhymes we have today are due to him. It is thereforepeculiarly fitting this series, comprising the best written forchildhood, should bear his name. 

 THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN--_Robert Browning_ THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER--_John Ruskin_ MONI, THE GOAT BOY--_Johanna Spyri_ FAIRY TALE GIANTS FAIRY TALE PRINCES FAIRY TALE PRINCESSES A DOG OF FLANDERS--_Louisa de la Ramee_ (_Ouida_) THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW--_Washington Irving_ RIP VAN WINKLE--_Washington Irving_ THE NURNBERG STOVE--_Louisa de la Ramee_ (_Ouida_) THE ADVENTURES OF A BROWNIE--_Miss Mulock_ CHILD VERSES--_Eugene Field_

These books are well bound in cloth, are profusely illustrated, have acolored frontispiece and a colored jacket, and contain 92 pages each. 

THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO. 

AKRON, OHIO

The Billy Whiskers Series

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As Originated by

FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY

Mrs. Montgomery has the happy faculty of knowing just what the small boyand his sister like in stories, and the added ability of giving it tothem. Her ideas are touched with the sparkle of real genius and littlefolks find it a delight to travel in her company. These adventures of afrolicsome goat never fail to please. 

Twenty-five Volumes

 BILLY WHISKERS BILLY WHISKERS' KIDS BILLY WHISKERS, JUNIOR BILLY WHISKERS' TRAVELS BILLY WHISKERS AT THE CIRCUS BILLY WHISKERS AT THE FAIR BILLY WHISKERS' FRIENDS BILLY WHISKERS, JR. , AND HIS CHUMS BILLY WHISKERS' GRANDCHILDREN BILLY WHISKERS' VACATION BILLY WHISKERS KIDNAPPED BILLY WHISKERS' TWINS BILLY WHISKERS IN AN AEROPLANE BILLY WHISKERS IN TOWN BILLY WHISKERS OUT WEST BILLY WHISKERS IN THE SOUTH BILLY WHISKERS' ADVENTURES BILLY WHISKERS IN THE MOVIES BILLY WHISKERS OUT FOR FUN BILLY WHISKERS' FROLICS BILLY WHISKERS AT HOME BILLY WHISKERS' PRANKS BILLY WHISKERS IN MISCHIEF BILLY WHISKERS AND THE RADIO BILLY WHISKERS' TREASURE HUNT

Quarto, six full color illustrations and many black-and-white drawings, bound in cloth, colored jacket. Price, $1. 25 each. 

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THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY, AKRON, OHIO

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Transcriber's Notes:

Obvious punctuation errors repaired.